Veni Vidi Vici (Version B)
by sleepyCJwritesSTUFFnow
Summary: REWRITE of VENI VIDI VICI. A spark can cause the flames to begin. Who burns, however, is up to chance. Perfection is unattainable in not only life but in politics, love, family, loss, happiness, sadness, anger, and remorse. You can't change the past; You can favor and display your version of history but that doesn't change a damn thing. So, in the end who can you trust?
1. Prologue: A Story to Tell

**_Location: Unknown  
Status: Unknown  
Time: Unknown  
Temperature: Unknown  
Year: Unknown  
Month: Unknown  
Day: Unknown_**

_Always look for what lies behind those eyes..._

Death is not easy, not by any stretch of the imagination. Neither is accepting it when it happens to others, and especially those close to you. If time travel existed within the realm of my powers, I would do everything to go back and save them before _he_ could get to them. Before he could change them, before those other women in their town hung one, shot another, drowned the third, and burned the last at stake. All four girls, and they died though not entirely as the...powers that they had possessed lived on. To stop all of that, of course, would require the travel back to many millennia past, and that is not something that most would even be willing to risk. For all of my powers, that is beyond my realm of influence. Do I miss them? Yes. Would I be willing to alter the very thin fabric that holds our world together? No. I prefer my bitterness and anger. I prefer my stewing hatred.

I'll be blunt and state this simple fact that so few are willing to admit to: nothing lives forever. Everything shrivels and dies. That includes hope, that elusive spark that can change, and incite, and drive those who are on the brink. The precipice, if you will. One of the simplest things I've learned over the years is something we, both humans, faunus, and otherwise, choose to neglect is simply this: when bent too far, when pushed too far, everything and everyone breaks. The lines get drawn farther, and farther away every time, and every moment that passes in the waiting for an absolution is wasted. Chances dwindle, options become scarce. Therefore, what I ask you to consider is what have we left to do when this point is reached or passed? Furthermore, are there sometimes moments when we have no choice in what we have to do, or do we always have a choice?

To verge away from philosophy, let us discuss the basic politics of the four major kingdoms in this world. Commonly, they are referred to as Atlas, Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral though those are not the full names. Officially, Atlas is the United Kingdom of Atlas - which has a government council with twenty departments, six hundred members, and aid from and association with the military and the kingdom's huntsman academy. Arguably, it is the most powerful of the kingdoms. Vale, following in suit, is officially the Unified States of Vale and has a somewhat smaller government council and no military with the council, which is mostly separate from the academy. As for Vacuo, its full name is the Vacuoian Federation and, while having a relatively strong government council, is known more so for having hearty deposits of Dust. No, I am not going to explain Dust beyond it being one of our most precious natural resources and that its trade is, in many senses, monopolized by the Atlas based Schnee Dust Company – although that is not to say that the Government Council Of The United Kingdom Of Atlas hasn't placed increasing sanctions on the company over the years. I digress. To finish Mistral is officially the Republic of Mistral with a huntsman academy and government council just like the other four major kingdoms.

For a brief history lesson, the four kingdoms have been around for so long that many cannot remember that, despite learning about prior ancient civilizations, they have not always existed. In fact, the kingdoms as we know them today were not established until after the Great War – the war that tore apart kingdoms and families and yet still ended in change that was long overdue. Before the Great War, all four of the major kingdoms had a royal family and the monarchical rule was absolute except for in one kingdom. Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo had rather normal histories with the subject of their monarchies and absolutism, but Atlas is different. For starters, the United Kingdom of Atlas was not known as that until after the Doppelganger Treaty was signed by all of the kingdom's provinces a few years after the Great War, which created Atlas as we know it today. Also, the treaty established its progressive constitution that was markedly liberal in its ideas – for the time, even radical.

The United Kingdom of Atlas was known as the Kingdom of Mantle during and before the Great War, and had a constitutional monarchy in which there was a royal family with much power, yes, but also a parliament which I suppose one could think of as a rudimentary version of the government councils that currently operate within each of the kingdoms. Of course, the government councils all have various heads of state; Vale and Atlas have a president while Vacuo has a prime minister and Mistral has a chancellor. That matter, however, is off topic. The royal family of the Kingdom of Mantle was the Ciel family and the family was, to the surprise of some of the other kingdoms, remarkably cooperative in the establishment of the United Kingdom of Atlas though this likely had something more to do with Lena and Jacob Ciel wanting to retain their heads rather than being out of the goodness of their hearts. They, five years after the Great War ended and having ascended to the throne at the very beginning of the war at the ripe ages of twenty and twenty four, had a son by the name of Edward Samuel Ciel who, twenty four years after that married a member of the kingdom's military and had a daughter: Emmeline Cecilia Ciel. By the time she was thirty-eight, both of her parents were dead, and she was a general in the Atlas Military. She was also involved with a Schnee, which could be viewed as ironic or unironic considering the status of the Schnee family and the status of hers. At that point, sixty-two years had passed.

Eighteen years later, Vale's huntsman academy, Beacon, fell to the grimm and a woman with amber eyes, a woman that I won't dwell on. At that point, the kingdoms had all gone through changes and that included the people within them. Human beings and the faunus are not static creatures; rather, they like to push the limits, they strive towards change and one of the most admirable, and frankly annoying, things about them is the drive that they so wholeheartedly possess. That, however, does not make them infallible. People die every single day, and those deaths are not strictly natural. Some die by their own hands, others die at the hands of others but in the end everyone dies. As I said before, hope is a fickle friend, and it cannot and should not be relied on. The one thing I must impress upon anyone that perhaps will listen to me is this: don't wish too much, and don't let hope blind. I speak from experience. The view, I admit, is cynical but that does not make it any the less true. Human beings especially are incredibly arrogant and seem convinced that so long as our sun is still burning, and our shattered moon is still in orbit, that dust will blow. That is not always the case. Like it or not, everyone is scarred or flawed in some way – no one is without weakness, not even me. But if you don't give away your weaknesses, no one has to know about them. I certainly don't let people see my weaknesses.

Now, I'll briefly delve into the realm of legends, fairytales, and even religion. Though there are many religions in our world that claim monotheism, polytheism, or atheism, there is one that is actually true. The tradition that states that the world of Remnant, our world, was created by two brother gods, an older and a younger, is true. It is also true that they created sorceresses and one male sorcerer who gave much of his powers to the four girls that I mentioned as having died earlier. In short, that single sorcerer created the four maidens of the seasons: one maiden for Spring, Summer, Autumn, and Winter. The one that was hung possessed the powers of the Spring Maiden; the one that was shot possessed the powers of the Winter Maiden; the one that was drowned possessed the powers of the Summer Maiden; the one that was burned at stake possessed the powers of the Fall Maiden. When I previously stated that their powers lived on, I referred to the fact that their powers transferred to a woman between the ages of seventeen and thirty-five after their deaths and the women that killed them received their powers for being in that time frame. Now, that is not to say that that time frame can't be evaded through forcible aura or power transfer but, with such technology being ethically grey and, subsequently, controversial, I will veer away from that.

There was a woman, the mother of the girls, who was distraught by their deaths and sought revenge. She went to the younger brother god, the evil one, and he agreed to help her. They even fell in love and granted her powers of creating the so-called monsters of destruction that plague our world and have since mankind existed. Unable to rob the future for whatever fate it held for her, and unable to destroy her, the younger brother god used the last of his powers in one final act with his elder brother, the good one. Together, they cursed the man who had given the girls their powers in the first place and they set him to reincarnate until he defeated their mother. Their distraught mother who only wanted what she viewed as justice, though that concept became warped and she finally conceded that she was after revenge, not justice.

Never, no matter who you are, confuse your vengeance or lust for it as a form of justice. That is more than just a slippery slope to fall down. I should know better than anyone. I was human once too.

In each of his reincarnations, his soul would merge with that of a likeminded person and, after about seven or eight years, give or take, that person would become him, and he would continue his fight against the woman again though he, by the time it had been eighty years since the Great War, seemingly failed every time. Most people would have lost hope, but he, for some reason, persisted. In many ways, doing such was admirable, but it was only a thorn for his enemy. Not only did he reincarnate, but the two brother gods also created four relics which were hidden by the man and could only be accessed by maidens.

But, some of this is only legend. I can tell you, however, that the maidens are real with absolute certainty, though that is all I will directly confirm.

I am no longer living...I am merely a trapped spark that lies buried and sealed, but that does not mean that I am powerless. My name is Salem.

So, as you continue you on through our world of love, politics, war, family, anger, remorse, sadness, happiness, and the full spectrum of emotions, I ask you to consider the words that General Emmeline Ciel so eloquently phrased that have been quoted by so many others – both allies and enemies – over and over: "when the first shots are fired, who will you able to trust?"


	2. Going Somewhere?

**_November 17th  
Beacon Academy  
City of Vale  
Vale  
11:34 AM_**

"So, this is Beacon Academy..." Glynda Goodwitch murmured as her team, Team JGED, entered the grounds. In their last year at Atlas Academy, they were ready to compete at their best, but that did not mean that there were not going to be some hard bits. There were always hard bits amongst the four of them. "It's more similar to Atlas than I thought it would be."

"Weren't you supposed to attend Beacon anyways, Glynda?" Emmett Schnee responded with a smirk, playfully punching her shoulder. "Are you Valerian or not?"

"Well, I was born in Atlas which means that I'm a Valerian-Atlesian. Besides, I…what in the hell is that?" Glynda raised an eyebrow as a dark-haired boy with red eyes walked past them in Beacon Academy uniform. A _female_ Beacon Academy uniform.

"Is that guy wearing a skirt?" James started to laugh at the sight along with his team.

"Is he high?" Dean asked, tossing his burnt orange hair back.

Emmett leaned towards Glynda who, at 6'2'' without her heels, was reasonably taller than his 5'11''. "Do you think that he's a cross dresser?" He asked, brushing his shoulder length white curls to the side.

Glynda gave him a look of exasperation as she adjusted her glasses. "How the hell am I supposed to know?"

"Hey!" The boy shouted as he started walking towards them. "You're cute!"

"Thanks!" Emmett yelled back although he was fairly certain the boy was talking to Glynda. "I like to think so too!"

"Not you," The boy scoffed and shifted his gaze directly to Glynda. "I was talking about her."

"Oh, joy..." She muttered.

"So…" The boy said as he lifted his leg up onto the ledge and leaned in slightly. He then gave her a suggestive smile before continuing his thoughts. "Do you like what you see?"

Glynda deepened her glare. "_No_. Now who the hell –"

"Qrow, what the fuck are you doing?" A girl with the same red eyes and dark hair grabbed him by the back of his blazer.

"Tryin' to be funny and turn that prank you and Tai pulled on me in our first year on its head," Qrow replied with a smirk. "So, ha. Besides, Raven, I bet Sums is goin' want it later –"

Raven smacked him angrily on the back of his hand. "Shut up."

"Thanks –" Glynda started.

"I'm not helping you out," The girl snapped. "Who are you anyways?"

Annoyed, she reached for her crop. "Glynda Goodwitch, why?"

Raven glanced at her and then dismissively shook her head and stalked off. "Never mind..."

Emmett laughed. "Well someone needs to tell her –"

"Not now Emmett." Glynda cut him off, gripping her riding crop tighter.

"Are you alright?" James asked, wrapping an arm around her. Despite being still irritated with Raven and Qrow, just feeling his arm around her caused her to relax.

"I'm fine." She said shortly.

"You always say you're fine," Dean pointed out while taking a second to look around the grounds. "But I think we all remember the time when you were sick and insisted on going to class anyways. You had _terrible _laryngitis and couldn't speak and while you did really well in your fight in combat, you couldn't even answer the question about what an aura does after because –"

"In my defense I was able to write it out on the board, so –" Glynda protested.

"You still couldn't talk," Emmett pointed out. "And weren't you functionally mute for that whole week?"

Glynda groaned. "It was one of the worst weeks of my life."

"Because you talk too much?" Emmett suggested. "Or is it because James wouldn't kiss you while you were that sick?"

"I… I…" Glynda rolled her eyes. "At least I'm not the one with a jackass brother-in-law."

"At least I'm not 6'2''." Emmett countered.

"I'm 6'5'' in these heels!" Glynda reminded him. "And that doesn't count because of the amount of times you've complained about me being taller than you."

Emmett sighed. "Okay, so maybe that's a little true..."

"It's very true," James gave him a smirk before bringing his girlfriend a little closer. "Glynda, how many times has he complained about that?"

"So many times that I've lost count," Glynda responded as she leaned into him a little more.

"To be fair to all of us though," Dean said with a meaningful glance at his teammates. "We like each other so much more than we did when were all placed on the same team. I mean, Glynda, you _hated_ Emmett."

"That's not true!" She responded irritably.

"Was it?" Emmett asked rhetorically.

* * *

_"New students, please report to the amphitheater for team placement. Again, that is for new students, please report to the amphitheater."_

_Seventeen-year-old Glynda Goodwitch pulled her riding crop - and her arms - closer to herself as she made her way towards Atlas Academy's amphitheater. After how well initiation went, she could only hope that her team placement would turn out just as well. The upside, if there ever was one, was that her partner was on her level… not that he wasn't without flaws. James Ironwood had a way of getting under skin in ways she couldn't always understand - and they'd only know each other for a few days. Still, it could be worse. She could have been paired with Emmett Schnee, for instance, and he seemed to be nothing but a self-entitled brat. Very early on in her time in Atlas, Glynda learned that - amongst other things - the Schnee family was an even bigger deal than they were in the rest of Remnant. Emmett may be ten years younger than his sister, Willow, but that doesn't mean he's powerless._

_"Glynda Goodwitch," General Jansen announced. Moving as quickly as possible, she made her way up to the stage where James already was - smiling at her. "Emmett Schnee, Dean Carson. Led by James Ironwood, Team JGED is the one of the most advanced teams in this year. Therefore," Jansen looked directly at all four of Team JGED with a sharp eye. "They will be this year's accelerated team - graduating in only three years."_

_"So…" Emmett leaned over towards Glynda, whispering mischievously. "In a team of Atlesians you're the Valerian. Not only that, but you're the only girl. And to be fair, I'm a little annoyed that you're taller than my 5'11''. Although, maybe that could be an advantage… if you know what I mean." Winking at her suggestively as they walked off as a team, Glynda did nothing but glare with more force than she could remember doing before._

_A playboy. She thought. Of course._

_"You know," Glynda turned on Emmett as Team JGED reached their dorm. "If you're going to be a jackass, you can drop the mock subtlety."_

_"I'm not a jackass, I'm an attractive -"_

_"Dude, I've known you your whole life and even I think that you're a jackass." Dean told him, laughing like a maniac. "I mean, if you're going to be a jackass then use it on your brother-in-law."_

_"I've been trying to find something incriminating on him for the last eight years since the arranged marriage went through!" Emmett unlocked their dorm with his scroll and began to pull up his photographs. "Unfortunately most of the photographs I've managed to get while spending any time in the manor have been of my niece, Winter. She's seven, and the cutest thing ever - see." Shoving his scroll in Dean's face, he began to flip through photographs of a young girl with white hair that had a determined look on her face despite being so young._

_"Am I the only one who doesn't know what's going on?" Glynda asked James, pushing her glasses up again._

_"To be honest I'm not quite sure what's going on," He admitted, gesturing towards them. "I don't really know either of them."_

_"I thought everyone in this city knew everything about everyone."_

_"Does everyone know everything about everyone in Vale?"_

_"No, but I thought that in Atlas -"_

_"Atlas and Vale are much more similar than people think."_

_"Really?" Glynda raised an eyebrow at that, despite being born in Atlas. "By the way," She said as she sunk into a deep violet bean bag by her bed. "This is my bean bag, use it at your peril."_

_James sighed and looked at Glynda before responding as she collapsed further into her bean bag. "So…"_

_"So what?"_

_"What's your story?"_

_"My… story? Well, I was born in Atlas but raised in Vale with my brother and sister. I'm the youngest by six years - my brother is the oldest - and my sister more or less left me alone. I've never had a lot of friends and my parents aren't exactly thrilled that I want to be a huntress, especially because I chose to study at Atlas over Beacon," Her green eyes bore into him. "What about you?"_

_"I was born and raised in Atlas - in the city of Mantle - by an Atlesian mother and a Valerian father who left when I was a kid. I'm an only child and my mother is, pretty much, indifferent to the fact that I'm training to be a hunter and then intend to join the Atlesian military in the Special Operatives Unit."_

_"Interesting," Glynda pulled her wavy blonde locks out of its tight ponytail before getting up to head into the bathroom. "I'm going to shower and," Turning to the rest of the team she narrowed her eyes. "If any of you come in here before I come out then Oum save your souls."_

_As soon as he knew she was out of earshot and could hear the shower running, Emmett sighed and looked directly at Dean and James. "I'm going to take a risk here and admit how I feel about her…"_

_"Don't say that you're attracted to her," James told him. "Because I have a feeling that she doesn't like you very much."_

_"Well I wasn't going to say that anyway because I'm not. No, what I was going to say is that I'm… a little bit afraid of her."_

_"Cute," Dean responded with a sarcastic laugh. "But if I were you I'd direct that fear towards staying on Jacques's good side."_

_Emmett scoffed. "Oh come on, he's not even a real Schnee so why should I fear him?"_

_"It doesn't matter that he isn't a real Schnee, because he is the CEO of the Schnee Dust Company. You know, one of the largest corporations in all of Remnant."_

_"So?" Emmett crossed his arms in annoyance._

_"So he has access to the best press release team in the world and you honestly don't fear him? The man could make or break you!"_

_"Hey, so, what are you all talking about?" Glynda asked as she came back out in a tank top and leggings with her hair wrapped in a towel._

_"Emmett's brother-in-law," James informed her._

_"Oh, lovely."_

_"You know," Emmett said as he followed her over towards her bed while she pulled her brush out of her bag. "You're the first girl to not fall head over heels for me at first sight."_

_"That might have something to do with the fact that I think you're a self-entitled jackass.," Sending him a glare, he moved back but didn't stop talking._

_"And that is the second time you've called me a jackass today. Which might be why you remind me of someone..."_

_Glynda narrowed her eyes at him. "Who?"_

_Emmett winked flirtatiously. "Wouldn't you like to know..."_

* * *

"This will be your dorm while you stay here at Beacon," Professor Peach informed them. "All the information you need will be downloaded to your scrolls overnight. If you have any questions, I'm sure one of the Beacon students will be able to help you out."

"Thanks," Emmett said as he let Team JGED into their temporary dorm. Once the door closed behind them, Emmett threw his bags onto the ground next to Dean's and went to leave almost as soon as he got in. "Dean, come on," Emmett waved his partner towards the door. "Let's leave them alone."

Without another word Emmett and Dean practically ran out of the dorm, leaving Glynda and James behind. Glynda almost immediately wrapped her arms around James's neck and pulled him closer to her while he ran his fingers through her long, thick hair. Loosening her embrace, Glynda tilted her face up to kiss him gently before allowing herself to melt into the feeling. Still, sighing, she broke their kiss and rested her head on his shoulder while he rubbed her back lovingly.

"I love you, James."

"Glynda…"

"I mean it. I know that you're going to be joining the military soon, but we still have the festival and one more mission planned as a team. Besides… we'll still be able to be together, won't we?"

"Haven't we been talking about taking our relationship a bit further?"

With a sigh, Glynda pushed her bangs out of her eyes. "James, we only just turned twenty back in September -"

"We don't have to do this right away. We can wait a year, I know you don't want to rush into this."

"I love you… but I'm, I… I don't know James. The thought of getting married makes me feel… odd. I"m not quite sure how I feel about it right now. I just want to think about this for a few more months."

"I know. I just want you to be happy. Don't feel pressured."

"I don't… Things are just complicated for me."

"Well I love you either way," Before she could respond, James pressed a soft, tender kiss to her lips. "And I'll always be here for you, princess."


	3. JGED VS STRQ

**_November 20th  
Amity Coliseum  
Beacon Academy  
City of Vale  
Vale  
11:39 AM_**

"The randomization process is complete!" The announcer shouted through the PA system. "For our next fight, we'll have fourth year Team JGED of Atlas Academy VS fourth year Team STRQ of Beacon Academy!"

Raven Branwen tossed her hair back and casually pulled her weapon out while sending a glare directly towards Glynda, who glared back with equal distaste. Though she knew it was not particularly rational, with the way things were going for her, she needed someone to hate. Ozpin easily fell into that category, but she still was undecided on what her true views of him were. Even at one and twenty she viewed the world as bleak. Clinging to what she knew, which, admittedly, was less than she cared to believe, was really the only thing she felt to be keeping her as herself not who anyone might want her to be. The rest of the teammates, however, were less reserved, less closed off than she was. Summer Rose, for one, was smiling at the one with the white waves that went down to his shoulder, whoever he was. Raven kept telling herself that she couldn't care less about the people they were going to fight even though she knew full well that she was lying to herself. For example, she found the white-haired one highly attractive, but she wasn't going to betray the trust of the tribe over something that she knew was only uncertain.

_Remember Raven, _she reminded herself, _You're at Beacon to learn how to kill huntsman and huntresses, you're not here to become one. They're a threat to the tribe that will have to be dealt with.  
_  
The terrain around them changed into rivers, forests, and desert. _Perfect_, Raven thought, _this terrain won't be familiar to them_. An advantage, as her own mother would have put it. Clenching her ōdachi tighter, Raven pushed the thoughts of her mother out of her mind. After all, her mother died several years before - wrong place, wrong time - and the two of them had not necessarily had the closest relationship. At seven years old Raven Lily Branwen and Qrow Xander Branwen were officially orphaned and now, well over ten years later, Raven refused to let go of her bitterness towards her mother. Unlike Qrow who was simply viewed as nothing more or less than a liability by their mother, Raven had been viewed as powerful – as the next leader of the tribe. She had known from the start that was where her mother wanted her to end up, and she was more than willing to take up the mantle. At the same time, it scared her. The last few years at Beacon, however odd and miserable at times, had been deeply meaningful in its own way and, against her will, a bit of confliction had started to rise. For many reasons, that terrified her.

"5… 4… 3… 2… 1 – _Fight_!"

Raven darted towards the white-haired boy to engage him a fight as her teammates engaged the others.

"Woah… attracted much?" He asked with a smirk. "Because, I have to admit, you're pretty."

Raven didn't respond, despite her attraction she would be damned if she let it show. Instead, she swung her ōdachi at him with extreme force and, not to much shock, he jumped out of her attack with a glyph. "Attracted?" Raven replied with an equal smirk. "Do you need to get your eyes checked?"

"To be honest, probably," He responded, half-laughing as he dodged yet another one of her attacks. "But hey, I'm Emmett. Emmett Schnee."

"Oh, I understand. I guess maybe I'll go easy on you," Raven sent a well-aimed swing his way – this time around, it made contact.

Emmett stopped in surprise, giving her yet another hit against him. She glanced up at the monitor and sighed in relief that her aura was still high while his was steadily depleting.

"Or maybe I won't," She finished with a smirk, attempting another hit to his shoulder.

"Too slow!" He declared as he met her blade with his. "Hey, so what was that whole thing yesterday with the guy and the skirt?"  
_  
_"It pains me to say it, but that's my brother," Knocking back another blow from Emmett, Raven went on. "Long story short, he's an idiot."

"That was made pretty clear," Schnee said with a grin. "Not that that's to say I haven't done stupid things.

Raven rolled her eyes as she made contact again broke his aura down further. "God, what a surprise!"

"Not really, but I'll let that slide because your cute," Emmett winked flirtatiously at her, one time to many, and, in that moment, she made contact again – eliminating him from the fight.

"And it appears that Raven Branwen of Beacon has defeated Emmett Schnee of Atlas!"

Emmett smirked at Raven even as he was pulled out of the fight, and then did yet another flirtatious move – flipping his long, white hair. Raven rolled her eyes, but even she couldn't help but feel the slight draw towards him. Sighing heavily as she refocused, she attempted to brush her thoughts aside but, as time would come later to tell, she could not. Noticing the taller one with the burnt orange red hair, Raven began to change her direction of attack to him but stopped short when she noticed Glynda defeat Taiyang and the red one defeat Summer. Angrily, Raven used her semblance to engage the three other opponents that she and Qrow had left to fight. For a time, they gained the upper hand in defeating the red one – Dean – quickly, but, as soon as Glynda sent a well-aimed attack Qrow's way, it was all over for him.

"And Qrow Branwen of Beacon has been defeated by Glynda Goodwitch of Atlas!"

"Damn it!" Raven muttered as she started to focus all of energy into fighting her remaining two opponents. "I swear to god..."

Raven swung her ōdachi hard at Glynda, but she bounced the attack right back with her semblance of telekinesis.

"Motherfucker..." Raven muttered as she blocked a shot from the other one of her opponents' gun.

"Something wrong?" Glynda knocked back yet another one of Raven's attacks. "Or are you still bitter?"

"Shut up," Raven glared. "Tell me, why would someone like you become a huntress?"

"I could ask you the exact same question," Glynda snapped, a natural feeling of animosity towards her rising clear as day. "And, if I had to bet, you wouldn't answer."

"Damn right I wouldn't," Raven replied, her anger taking over her voice.

"Then don't expect me to," With another knock back and a perfectly aimed shot, Raven could see her aura deplete – _fuck_.

"Raven Branwen has been defeated by Glynda Goodwitch and James Ironwood! Team JGED is victorious!"

Raven scowled deeply as Glynda and James embraced tightly. Part of her was so angry with them for winning, but the other part of her was angry because of their affection for each other that she could see. In that moment, Raven looked back at Taiyang and, in impulse and anger, walked right over him and aggressively pulled him in a kiss, much to his surprise. Not that he fought it, but he couldn't help but wonder why in the living hell that Raven would kiss him at that particular moment. The two of them were close, and had been involved for well over a year, but that didn't negate the fact that they were both aware that she struggled with expressing her emotions. As rough as everything was, though, he was hoping that by the end of the Festival – which would also mark the end of their formal training – that she would be willing to marry him when he proposed.

"Raven," He said as he broke the kiss, half out of breath. "Are you alright –"

"Try to talk less," Raven pulled him right back in but out of the corner of her eye she could see Team JGED laughing together and her anger resurfaced. "Follow me," Raven grabbed Tai tightly by the wrist and stalked off towards Team JGED as they made their way back towards Beacon's main grounds. "Hey!" She yelled as she and Tai joined Team JGED on the avenue. The four of them turned to face her in surprise and it was all Raven could do to not attempt to strangle Glynda right there – the only girl on the team. "Yeah, see, I'm just as capable as you bitches are, but I choose to not show-off!"

"Oh, look!" Dean said as he punched Emmett in the arm. "She's angry that Glynda kicked her ass!"

"Did you hear me or did you not?" Raven's voice dripped in acid as she glared at him and then shifted her gaze towards Glynda who just crossed her arms with her riding crop still in hand while James wrapped an arm around her. "Oh, so let me guess," Raven said as she looked at the two of them. "You're the official team leader but she's the actual one?"

Glynda narrowed her eyes at Raven. "Do you need something?"

"Oh, don't listen to her Raven, she's not worth it." Qrow cut in as he approached his sister and Tai. "If I had to bet, she doesn't know how to lift much more than that small stick of hers. Am I right?"

Glynda shifted her gaze to him. "Actually, I know how to lift, jackass. I've been carrying this team from the start." She muttered as she flicked her crop to knock them both back.

"Looks like you pissed her off, Qrow." Raven informed him as she moved back towards Glynda. "Where's Summer?"

"I'm…right…here," Summer came up to them, running faster than they'd ever seen her go before. "What…do…you…need…"

"Well, that depends –" Qrow started.

"Whatever you're thinking, I doubt that it's a good idea," Tai told him, giving him a pointed look. "Just leave them alone, they don't need you to bother them."

"I can't believe I'm saying this, but Tai's right," Summer said as she looked to him. "This is going to sound completely vain, but I want to preserve my looks. They're not worth it."

Qrow glared deeply but then sighed as James returned the glare with his arms crossed. "Besides, I have a feeling that I'm going to have to deal with the two of them again after this."

Raven placed a hand on her ōdachi while angrily stalking off with Tai in tow while Summer and Qrow followed. As they walked away, Dean's gaze landed on Raven's ass and he smirked as she got further and further away. Emmett, despite being mildly irritated by them and half-heartedly wanting a fight, opted to instead pull Glynda's hair out of its bun. Laughing as she turned around, he stopped when he saw her anger and how much tighter she was gripping her crop.

"Emmett…" Without another word, Glynda punched Emmett in the face – nearly breaking his glasses – while he looked at her in surprise before smacking her ass in approval – resulting in a hard slap from her in response.

Grinning like a maniac, Emmett laughed again. "Damn, after the last three years I've finally gotten you to crack and actually hurt me like I know you've wanted to since…well…"

James glared at Emmett as he pulled Glynda in close to him. "Sometimes I think we all want to hurt you."

"I've actually caused him serious harm," Dean smirked as he began to recount to Emmett all of the ways that he had inflicted pain in their fights throughout the years.

Falling reasonably behind them, Glynda and James turned towards their dorm while Emmett and Dean made their way towards the courtyard to reenact their previous fights. Almost as soon as they'd gotten into their dorm, James was pulling Glynda in to him and, as she began to relax and place down her crop, soon after she was tightly in his arms, and he was bringing her face towards his into a deep, tender kiss. Glynda pulled him closer towards him while he ran his fingers gently through her long hair, taking in everything about her, everything about them. Pulling away as lightly as possible, he let her bury her face in his chest while rubbing her back. With a sigh, he began to push her bangs out of her eyes while she tousled his dark hair affectionately.

"I love you," She told him softly, nuzzling his neck. "I love you so much."

James kissed her lightly again. "I love you too."


	4. To The End of a Dream

**_December 17th  
City of Mantle  
City Limits  
United Kingdom of Atlas  
10:34 PM_**

The amount of grimm was incomparable, even from within the airship. While it was the outskirts of Mantle, which was significantly disadvantaged in comparison to the glistening city off Atlas, even for this area, the grimm concentration was borderline ridiculous. That was especially true for any location in the interior of the continent of Solitas. The old Schnee Dust Company warehouse was crawling with the creatures and, out of the corner of her eye, Glynda could see Emmett tense upon seeing the remnants of the Schnee snowflake painted on the side of the heavily faded building. If that were not enough, they were all well aware that anywhere in the United Kingdom of Atlas that was crawling with grimm could be even more deadly than an area crawling with grimm in any of the other kingdoms – even for fully qualified huntsman and huntresses such as themselves.

"Let's get 'em," Dean said as he twirled his bow staff before infusing it heavily with fire Dust.

As soon as the ship was on the ground, the creatures of grimm began to surround them entirely. Emmett and Dean began to immediately take the smaller ones out head on, but Glynda and James headed for the warehouse. It didn't take long before a large nevermore flew out of it, followed by several creeps. From the other side of the field, Dean sent a hard blast of fire that hit the nevermore from the side – knocking it closer to the ground and causing damage to at least one of its wings. Still, Emmett and Dean were primarily focused on the death stalker that was advancing quickly on them. Moving as quickly as she could, Glynda managed to take out a few of the creeps while James shot at the nevermore. Feeling her aura drain, she took an advancing beowolf out with a several well-aimed kicks and punches. But, as she was about to relax for just a second, she saw Emmett collapse to the ground and Dean barely miss an incoming beringel as he moved to help his partner. Glynda knocked the beringel back to stop it from getting to her or James as she ran towards Dean to help him with Emmett.

"Dean!" She yelled. "What in the -"

"He overextended his aura with a summon," Dean quickly, panic for Emmett evident all throughout his voice. "He's fine, but he won't be if he stays out here while he can't fight. I'll get him back to the ship, but you and James need to be quick about fixing the area because I'm not sure if he's going to need more help than I'm qualified to give."

Glynda nodded as she helped Dean lift Emmett up before he ran back towards the ship. Most of the grimm were clearing out or had been killed, and the sector that Emmett and Dean had been was entirely vacant except for a few retreating creeps. The wind was starting to pick up, even more as the snow began to fall more steadily, making it all the more difficult for her and James to deal with the still flying nevermore. It, much to their relief, came down soon enough. As soon as it was gone, most of the others that they had been dealing with while fighting it were too. Almost giddy in relief as adrenaline pumped through them, they started to head back to the ship where Dean was waiting with Emmett, whose condition had improved when one considered that he had woken up.

But in that moment of false security, an ursa came charging at them. Turning quickly on her heel to face it, Glynda managed to push it back, but it continued to charge. The wild creature showed no mercy; the speed at which it ran was faster than she had ever seen. In a brief second, she thought that it might be alright as James was about to shoot it, but instead it took off both his right arm and leg. Dean came running out of the ship as James went unconscious and, using her semblance, Glynda grabbed James's revolver before helping Dean get him back onto the ship as they rushed back to the capital of the defunct kingdom of Mantle – Atlas. Emmett began pacing as soon as he had stopped reeling from the attack on him. Once they landed as directed on the roof of the hospital, Glynda, Dean, and even Emmett helped the staff bring James in as quickly as possible.

"Ugh," Emmett said, probing his still throbbing forehead as their team leader was rushed into immediate surgery. "Damn it."

"How did this happen?" The young nurse who helped bring him in asked, his pen hovering at the top of his clipboard.

"Hunting mission…." Glynda informed him, forcing herself not to cry – at least not now. "Grimm attack in the outskirts of –"

"Mantle," Emmett finished for her, noticing the tears that threatened to take her over. "Is he going to be –"

"I'm not going to lie and say that it looks great, but the chances are that he'll survive. We've got new technology in the kingdom that will be… beneficial. That's part of what we're doing, see…" The nurse looked back up at the three of them with a skeptical eye. "Are you three relation or –"

"Teammates," Dean informed him, pulling out his ID from Atlas Academy. "We graduated early just a month ago."

"And she," Emmett added, pointing towards Glynda. "Is also his fiancée."

_That hasn't been decided yet, Emmett and you know it_. Glynda thought as she crossed her arms, going along with the story still.

The nurse sighed before continuing. "Once he's completely stabilized, we'll be replacing his arm and leg with robotic prosthetics. After that we'll implant the neurotransmitter that will control them."

"Will he be dif –" Emmett started.

"Nothing will change except for the fact that his arm and leg won't be natural, although chances are that there will be lasting consequences mentally. As a huntsman he'll probably handle those better than the average person would, but it's still a consideration." Turning to Glynda he made one more note before leaving. "And I'll inform you when he wakes up so that you can see him, Miss –"

"Goodwitch," Glynda told him, still trying to appear strong although her voice was starting to break.

"Goodwitch," The nurse murmured as he wrote that down. "Alright then, I'll speak to the three of you again, hopefully with good news, as soon as possible."

Almost as soon as the man left, Dean wandered off alone while Emmett stayed with Glynda who continued to pace up and down the small room. Unlike the rest of his teammates, Dean felt almost nothing. He tried to comprehend why but he could not. He did not think that his lack of emotional response made him a bad person, but it was odd to him that, unlike Emmett and Glynda her were both in an almost extreme state of nerves, he was calm. He supposed that likely had something to do with his life before Atlas Academy. He did not want to go back, but he knew that he had not attended the Academy for the sake of helping others. He had done it for himself, to empower himself and grow stronger. Shaking his head as he left the building, he let the freezing wind nip at his face as he walked through the city he had always loathed with an almost numb mind.

Differently, Emmett had given the front desk Glynda's personal scroll number as well as his own for them to call when James woke up. Having recognized right away that she was in a terrible state, Emmett had forced himself to ignore the physical pain he felt and walked with her back to his apartment. Once they had gotten through the door, he had told her where everything was located and then took a dose of over counter painkiller while she showered. Glancing out the window into the dark night while the snowflakes continued to swirl about, he couldn't help but wonder just how maddening things might get as time went on. As time continued to go by, Emmett found himself falling asleep for a few hours but then waking up and feeling only a bit more rested than he had before. The cycle continued for a while, but finally he gave up on trying to sleep while Glynda paced and, hesitantly, he looked at her and gently took her hand.

"Emmett –" She said tiredly.

"Glynda I know that you and I will never be as close as you and James are, but I…" Hesitantly, Emmett pulled her into an awkward hug that lasted all of a few seconds before she pushed him away with tears in her eyes. "Things are going to be alright. They have to be."

"I really do love him Emmett," She said weakly as she sat down on the couch. "And I… what if he doesn't…"

"He'll be fine," Emmett repeated gently. "I mean for god's sake, Glynda, this is James Ironwood we're talking about."

Glynda sighed heavily and didn't respond, trying to calm herself down. Pulling a novel out of her bag on the ground, she began to read. Time passed, to her surprise after she started this, fairly normally. Every so often Emmett would leave and then come back with something in hand or an angry expression from being on the phone with someone. She would sleep for a couple of hours but then wake up abruptly. One tense day passed, followed by five more. It all settled into an almost normal routine of going in between Emmett's apartment and the hospital until Emmett came into the waiting room, looking more pissed than ever and arguing loudly with his other sister, Ashlynn. Small, white-haired just like the rest of the Schnee's, and unbelievably irritable, Ashlynn Schnee looked more ready to commit an assault or covert murder than usual. Her multiple diamond rings glistened menacingly on her fingers while continued to fight with her brother, only stopping when she noticed the sharp glare that Glynda was sending her way.

"Sorry about this, Glynda," Ashlynn made her way towards her while Emmett followed behind.

Closing her book, Glynda didn't bother to hide her annoyance. "What did you do this time?"

"Easy," Ashlynn responded with a smirk. "You know my nine or ten year-oldish niece…Winter, right?"

"Where exactly is this going?" A skeptical look had taken over Glynda's face as the other woman began to tell the story.

"Well she decided that she wants to train to be a huntress now that Emmett's, admittedly with help from Willow, gotten her to access her semblance. Of course, the poor girl has a stumbling block in her way known as the _insufferable_ Jacques Schnee. Anyway..." Ashlynn continued with a smirk. "He got pissed that I agreed to train her in fencing. I may not be a huntress or have any desire to be one, but at the very least I can teach her how to fence. Her semblance I can do a little with, but not much."

"You're ridiculous," Emmett said, rolling his eyes. "You haven't even unlocked your semblance."

Ashlynn ignored him although she knew he was right. "Okay, so here's the thing though. Jacques doesn't want that, since she's currently his only heir, because he wants her to put all of her time and effort into the Schnee Dust Company. I told him that over my dead body would I let him deny his own daughter the opportunity to live her life the way she wanted and he told me that I'm less of a member of the family than he is and that I should get out of _his_ house. And Willow defended him, and Emmett's is mad at _me_ because he thinks what I said was too risky."

"Because it was very risky," Emmett told her as he flipped his hair back behind his shoulder.

"But Willow –" Ashlynn argued.

"I'm going to talk to Willow later because I'm concerned about her," Emmett replied tensely. "She's been acting more and more… resigned lately and I know that she's unhappy. If she were happy, she wouldn't be drinking like a maniac and –"

"Miss Goodwitch?" The nurse from earlier was back, tapping impatiently on his clipboard. "Ironwood's finally awake. Would you like to see him now?"

Glynda nodded as she got up quickly, shoving her book into her bag. Without another word, she followed the nurse to the room where James had been moved to now that he was out of both surgery and ICU. Breathing a sigh of relief when she realized it would be just her and James, Glynda let herself into the room as quietly as possible. As soon as he saw her, James pushed himself further up to see her better as she set down her bag and moved over towards him.

"James, I –" She started.

"I'm alive, Glynda. I promise, I'm perfectly fine now." Lightly, James lifted part of her curled bangs up and played with it for a few minutes before Glynda leaned over and gently kissed him.

Hesitantly, she pulled away before asking the question she wasn't sure she was ready to ask or that he was ready to answer. "Do you remember what happened?"

Looking at her with a sigh he nodded. "If I hadn't shot that thing it would have killed you."

"It took off –" She protested.

"But I'm still alive, and I promise that everything is going to be okay," He sighed. "And Glynda, I love you. Nothing is going to change that."

"I love you too James," Glynda wrapped her arms around him as best as she could before pulling away with a light kiss to his forehead, her hair slightly brushing the metal of the transmitter. "Do you know when you'll be out?"

"A few more days - they want to make sure that the transmitter and my arm and leg work right and that I don't get sick or…" Noticing the dark circles under eyes and how pale she looked, James stopped as he took in her appearance. "Glynda… are you alright?"

"I haven't slept much the last few days," Sighing as she went on, she added. "And when I have it hasn't exactly been quality sleep."

"I haven't had that either," James said. "Unless you count the hours of sleep I got in while drugged, which as it happens I don't."

Glynda laughed. "Depends on how you look at it, I guess."

"Is Emmett okay?" He asked.

"Arguing with Ashlynn, but, yes, he's fine." Feeling her scroll buzz, Glynda checked it quickly before finishing. "Looks like they'll be here in a minute or two."

James nodded, still not taking his eyes off her. "I really do you love you Glynda."

Unable to think of a better response, Glynda kissed him passionately. "You act like I don't know that. You might get under my skin sometimes, but I love you so much even if you can treat everything like it's a contest of measuring dicks."

"You're perfect." James pulled her gently in again and she laughed when she pulled away.

"I'm hardly perfect," She said, rolling her eyes.

The door opened to Emmett and Dean with a bag of chips and beer. "So," Dean started. "I would normally suggest shots all around, but that's probably not the best idea right now since we just got Ashlynn off our backs."

"What he really means is that he kissed my sister for six minutes straight," Emmett told them with a smirk, causing both Glynda and James to laugh.

"Sometimes you really are an idiot," Glynda said as she pushed up her glasses. "Aren't you Emmett?"

"It's something I pride myself on Glynda," He replied, kissing Dean's cheek. "It really is."


	5. Stings and Schnees

**_January 3rd  
Schnee Family Manor  
City of Atlas  
United Kingdom of Atlas  
9: 38 PM_**

"I don't give a flying f –" Emmett Schnee exclaimed in exasperation as Jacques continued to glare at him and cut him off.

"Emmett, I do hope that you understand that you are lucky to getting work these days. Do not push your luck." Jacques looked at him evenly despite Emmett's harsh glare.

"I'm sorry, but me getting work is not a problem. Huntsman can work alone, so just because my team has broken up…it doesn't affect my employment. Besides, I'll officially be a TA at Atlas Academy in a few weeks for combat." Emmett sighed irritably as he attempted to match his brother-in-law's even expression. "What I was talking about was Ashlynn. My other sister. I know she came here to talk to you about how you fired her from her job as manager of the human resources office of the SDC and frankly I –"

Jacques raised a finger as he cut him off once more. "Ashlynn was defending the faunus too closely and it is not a risk that I am willing to take right now that a member of this family be in the constant eye of the media while at the same time run the risk of being presumed associated with the White Fang –"

"Oh, come on!" Emmett responded, cutting off Jacques for once. "If it were your wife, you wouldn't do this. You just have a personal vendetta against Ashlynn because she wouldn't play your little games and because she did what was right – what should have been done a long time ago."

"What I did," Jacques began as his voice crept dangerously low, a warning to Emmett that he was about to cross a line or hit a nerve. "Was to protect the Schnee family name. You and Ashlynn don't give a damn about anything but your petty causes while I go to great lengths to keep this family where it is."

"The day I deny myself the pleasures of this world will be the day that becomes true, e.g., never. Also, need I remind you that you married into this family when I was fifteen and, in that time, have –" Emmett stopped and narrowed his eyes at the man before turning when he heard the door to the study open.

"Emmett?" Willow looked at her brother in surprise as she came into the room; an earlier request from her husband. "What are you doing here? I thought –"

"I don't start as a combat TA at Atlas for another six weeks," Emmett informed her as he took in his sister's appearance. She looked paler than usual, excepting her cheeks, which were noticeably pink. _Probably the wine_, he thought as his gaze traveled to the glass in her hand. Concern washed over him immediately. Never in his life could he recall his sister drinking much, but, evidently, that was changing. "Uh...Willow are you alright?"

"I'm perfectly fine," She snapped as Jacques placed a hand on her shoulder. Emmett clenched his fists as he glared at both his sister and brother-in-law.

"Jacques," Emmett said as calmly as possible, unclenching his fists. "I'd like to speak to my sister alone if you don't mind."

"Of course," Jacques's tone was emotionless as he left the room and Emmett altered his gaze towards his sister to a more sympathetic one. As soon as he was gone, Emmett moved closer to his sister to try and naturalize things, to bring them back around to the way they had been when they talked growing up.

"Willa, why do you defend him so much?" He said as gently as he could manage. "You know just as well as the rest of us do what he's doing to the company and yet –"

"I defend him because father trusted him and so do I." Willow replied, though her voice shook. "Emmett, I love Jacques, and he's the father of my only child and –"

"Willow, for the love of god cut the pretense." Emmett stepped back a little when he realized that that came out harsher than he intended.

Sighing, Willow took a long sip of her wine before responding. "Emmett, you may be my brother, but I do not appreciate how every time you come here you find something to criticize my husband over. Father wouldn't –"

"If dad had known what kind of person Jacques is, then he would be on my side and Ashlynn's." Emmett knew his tone was increasingly bitter, but he decided he didn't care as he crossed his arms and glared at his sister. "I looked up to you for years, Willa, because I thought you were strong and independent but maybe I misjudged or maybe…" Emmett shook his head as he fought back tears and his voice softened against his will. "Willa, what happened to you?"

"What are you talking about?" Willow looked away from her brother as her stomach began to tie itself into knots.

"I mean your marriage and your relationship with Jacques in general," Emmett said. "I knew that the arranged marriage was a bad idea from the start, but you were adamant about it being the right choice –"

"And it was," She snapped. "Emmett, I already told you that I love Jacques and just because you and your team –"

"James, Glynda, and Dean –" Emmett began.

"Will you let me finish a goddamn sentence or not?" Willow snarled. Emmett stepped back further at this uncharacteristic outburst from his sister and let her go on. "Your team doesn't know him by anything more than what I'm sure are unflattering descriptions by you. And, in regards to love, you have never had more than that whole thing with Dean or those one night stands with various women, so you have no idea what it even looks like. Quit judging me, you…bastard!" Willow went to slap her brother, but he caught her hand and his blue eyes filled with nothing but pain and sympathy.

"I see that being with Jacques has taught you a thing or two," Emmett's tone was completely dry. "And you claim I don't know what love looks like, but I do. I may not have firsthand experience, and my relationship with Dean might be one on the rocks but here's an example of passionate, healthy, unconditional, returned, and real love: Glynda and James."

Willow ignored what he said about love, focusing on the first part. "Shut your face Emmett. You have no idea –"

"Don't I?" Emmett responded as he pointed to the faintly visible bruises on his sister's cheek. "You act as if makeup will hide everything, but it doesn't. I can tell," Emmett allowed his tone to become gentler. "Why did this happen?"

Willow's eyes began to tear. "I defended Winter's decision to begin training as a huntress. She wants to be a Specialist at some point."

"Ambitious girl," Emmett stated as he looked at his sister sympathetically. "But why do you let Jacques do this to you?"

"He slapped Winter too," Willow admitted quietly, as if she was afraid her husband would hear her.

Emmett's heart split as he imagined his sweet, barely ten-year-old niece getting slapped. "No, he's wrong." Emmett responded. Willow's head snapped up in surprise, but he didn't react.

"Emmett…" Willow pleaded, her voice weak. "I'm doing the best I can."

"Are you?" Emmett asked as he pulled her into a hug, feeling awkward as he hadn't as much as spoken to his sister in the last several weeks – hell, the last time they had embraced had been about a year or two prior. "Look, if you say you're alright and happy, I'll play along until I see that things get worse."

"They won't," Willow promised him, her voice quavering. "Actually... we're trying to have another baby now..."

Emmett laughed dryly. "Spare me the thoughts of your sex life."

"It's not my fault you're dirty minded," She replied though her voice was without humor.

"True," Emmett replied as he placed his hand on the knob to leave. "I promise we'll talk later."

"Okay..." She said almost inaudibly.

As he left, Willow sighed as she slowly walked to her room and weakly collapsed into one of the chairs, tears streaming down her face slowly and silently. She knew that her life was turning towards the worse, but she still believed that Jacques loved her. Letting her mind take over her speech, she softly began to sing as she grew more and more curled up in the spot. _Now it's time to say goodbye to things we loved and the innocence of youth._ _How the time seemed to fly from our carefree lives;_ a_nd the solitude and peace we always knew..._


	6. Where Are To Find Ourselves?

**_March 13th  
Government Offices of The Atlesian Council  
Department of Foreign Affairs And Military Action  
City Of Atlas  
United Kingdom of Atlas  
Security Level: High  
Clearance Warning Waived For Meeting  
Downtown  
8:37 PM_**

"Ironwood," Elizabeth Morell, one of the higher-up members of the security council said and she did so looking as imposing as ever.

Her heels always clicked with a hint of danger to them, despite her being a small woman of only thirty-two. Still, she had always been ambitious and had devoted, it seemed, all of energy into her work since she had first been hired as an investigator for the Atlesian Central Intelligence Agency ten years prior at twenty-two and barely out of college. She was short when she spoke, but often harsh. In the small meeting room with them was her assistant and diligent shadow, Karissa Mar, and James' direct superior, Emmeline Ciel. Mar was not terribly older than James himself. She was only twenty-four, and she had been initially taken on as a CIA investigator herself until Morell had taken a liking to her. She was now essentially her understudy, and it was a common assumption that when Morell moved up rank that Mar would take his place.

James had actually known Karissa during his first year of high school, which had been shortly before he had transferred to Atlas Academy on scholarship on account of his abilities, entrance exam performance, and his interview with the board of admissions. The headmistress had taken a charm to him and, he suspected, that was part of why he had been made a team leader despite not feeling he had completely deserved it. Glynda – his fiancé of a month, now, he recalled with a slight thrill – had attempted to shut down the subject when he posed it once, and he had not returned to it since. He saw many similarities between his fiancé and Karissa, if only in their dispositions. Both were serious women but could be lighter when they wanted, if his judgement of Karissa from years prior still held. She had been her senior year when he had known her, after all, and they had only been reasonably close friends that had lost contact when she graduated. Now, she was married, expecting a child in May, and as ambitious as ever. From her tightly pulled up and back azure curls to her thin glasses, she had changed as they all had and, surprisingly, seemed much older than she was.

He supposed that was Elizabeth's influence.

Ciel herself had graduated two years before his team had started at the Academy. She was now twenty-seven, all but consumed by her work and refusing to break unless she fell ill, and, to her chagrin, the daughter of the president and one of the youngest senators in history. She was the middle child of a family known for its involvement in politics, and her elder brother was over a decade her senior. They were half-siblings, to be sure, as their father had divorced from his first wife and remarried a younger woman about seven years later. Edward Ciel, now in his sixties, had a son in his mid-forties, a daughter in her late-twenties, and another son five years younger than his sister. His youngest son, as fate would have it, was actually the husband of Karissa Mar, whom he had fallen in love with while they were in college. He had not seen either of them since the wedding.

Emmeline looked particularly like a viper in that moment. She was frowning, her lips set in a thin line, and her hair was pulled up into such a severe bun that it might have been hurting her. Her uniform was crisp, and she had her rifle on her back. It was an uncommon sight to see her in dress uniform but, he supposed, it was reasonable for this purpose. She was, after all, a lieutenant commander and had dedicated nearly the last decade to getting where she was. No one believed she was ever going to stop, and he himself doubted it as well. After all, her family was known for its competitiveness and he had heard rumors from other students at the Academy that Edward Ciel may have been harsher towards his children than he would ever publicly admit. Regardless, he was a popular leader and had won the presidency in a landslide. The Ciel family was in a high position but it was also a precarious one.

"With…Arendel being currently…indisposed," Elizabeth said slowly. "I will be assigning your orders for the next five to ten years alongside your superior."

James respectfully nodded. "Of course, Madame Morell."

"You have put in that you would like to have orders to…" Ciel raised her eyebrows upon opening his file on her scroll. "The city of Vale?"

"Ye, ma'am," He said. "That is correct."

"Might I inquire as to why?" She asked, looking to him and setting her scroll aside. "I presume you have a reason, of course."

"In part it is because my wife has received job offers there and I don't want to hold her back," James kept his tone perfectly even and matched her stare. "She is Valerian, of course, but also Atlesian by birth."

She considered that. "You are not the only one to put in for orders to the city of Vale, but it is not the most common. I was expecting Argus, or Lowell."

A terse silence followed her words and the only sound was the scratch of Karissa's pen against the pad on which she was taking notes for Morell.

"How long would you like to remain in Vale?" Elizabeth finally said. "Did you have a particular time frame in mind?"

"Ten years would be acceptable," James told her. "If only because she is with child and we would prefer to not force our child to move around more than once or twice."

Elizabeth sighed and turned to Ciel. "That is an unusual request."

"It's reasonable," She countered, eyeing James critically for a moment but then nodding. "Request granted, Ironwood. Pray you don't live to regret this."

He wanted to laugh but could not tell if she had been making a joke or if she had been serious.

"Dismissed, Ironwood," Elizabeth said, sounding completely detached.

He nodded respectfully, saluted his superior, and briskly left the room. The door quietly shut behind him and there was an uncomfortable silence that followed between the three women.

"Ironwood will go far," Elizabeth murmured. "That accident was a dreadful scare, though. I heard of it from some of my associates. I know it was a few months ago now, but…"

"I absolutely agree he needs be careful," Emmeline said, not wanting to think much of the subject. "That could have been fatal, and he was lucky. Like so many others, he was one of the lucky ones."

"Vale is very much like Atlas," Karissa noted. "The only difference, really, is the distance and the passport requirements."

"It's also as safe," Emmeline added. "Which is part of why I readily agreed to approve orders that would send him there. He'll make his way up the chain of command, but he also won't be in as much field work."

"Tactical," Elizabeth mused. "Seems to run in your family."

Emmeline sent her a pointed look. "Don't start."

"All I can say about Edward is that he doesn't seem to stand for anything and that I think he'd be damn useless in a time of war," Karissa mildly remarked. "Spence agrees with me on that matter, actually."

"Well, it…" Emmeline sighed heavily and shook her head. "I have a complicated relationship with my father, as you both well know."

"Let's just hope that things remain on the course they're on," Elizabeth said, standing up and straightening some of the files. "We all need to be careful."

"Thank God for the peace," Karissa said under her breath. "Peace for sixty some odd years, now."

Emmeline flinched, tapping her nails against the table. "It's all we've ever known, now isn't it?"

* * *

"I'm glad to see that my little brother is paying me a visit," Cristal said, sighing heavily and all but collapsing into one of the chairs in her apartment. She was only twenty-four, but she seemed as tired as someone twice her age. "God knows law school is sending me through a head whirl."

"I told you it would," Glynda playfully chided her. "But you're doing well."

"Better than I could," Emmett said with a shrug and sending Ashlynn a dark look. "Don't build on that."

"Sorry my brother is a dumbass," She haughtily replied, fluffing her hair. "I hate my life sometimes, I really do."

"What do you have to hate?" Cristal said, scowling and pushing up her glasses. "You and Jacques might despise each other, but he and your ex-husband are the reason you've got all those connections…or how else are you getting all of those blood diamonds and pearls?"

Ashlynn spluttered, too shocked to respond.

"Are you still exchanging letters with that…Ozpin?" She finally spat. "The youngest headmaster ever instated at any of the Academies. You've been dating for, what, a year and a half now and how old is he? Fifty?"

"He's only twenty-nine," Cristal hotly replied. "And you're one to talk, considering that you divorced your wealthy husband to take his money and throw him in jail."

Ashlynn angrily picked up a bind of letters and tore one open, despite her sister's protests. She ignored the exasperated looks Glynda and Emmett kept exchanging too.

"This one is from him," She said with a triumphant smirk. "My dearest Cristal, I wish you were here, considering that your company is calming to me. I know you're an ocean away, but I will visit as soon as I get the chance. They think me a pain in the ass and ambitious to a fault, the council. In the last few months, they've been increasingly…"

Ashlynn trailed off, seemingly bored and scanned the letter for something more substantial.

"Ah ha!" She exclaimed. "I cannot put the thoughts of you out of my mind and, if you can, I'd love to video call with you. Talking on the phone and writing letters is, sadly, not the same as seeing your face."

"Give me those!" Cristal shrieked, springing up from her desk but tripping and starting to swear because of her heels. Glynda swiftly caught her before she slammed into the floor, but it was not quick enough for any of them to stop Ashlynn.

"Oz," Ashlynn dramatically read while Cristal turned pinker, something which stood out against her pale skin and dark brown hair. "Sit down with them and compromise. One of the critical tenements in law is the rule of law, which is to maintain justice and compromise integral to upholding that. Don't stop until you agree. On a lighter note, though, I'll be visiting during the summer when I have some down time before my bar exam. I wish you could have joined me back in January for my Glynda's wedding; it was a small affair, but lovely and I think you'd find her to be agreeable –"

Ashlynn cut herself off and tossed the letters aside, apparently bored.

"Your love letters sicken me," She said, crossing her arms. "Love is nothing but an illusion for the weak."

Emmett resisted the urge to remind her of her many, many affairs.

"So," Ashlynn said, turning on Glynda. "What's it like to be the first one in your friend group married and knocked up."

Cristal had steadied herself by now and stomped on her sister's foot.

"I'm more than happy to take a break from field work," Glynda told her calmly. "James and I agreed we had wanted children, and we're very happy about this."

Ashlynn rolled her eyes. "Any way I say what I'm thinking is going to make me sound like a murderess."

"You know something?" Emmett said, pushing his hair over his shoulder. "Dealing with you and Jacques would be a whole lot easier if I were a violent sociopath."

"Don't forget that possibility," She said, starting for the door. "Someone in our family may very well be one."

Ashlynn snorted but then sauntered out of the apartment, slamming the door behind her. It was not altogether surprising to any of them.

"She's always been a mess," Glynda remarked dryly. "If anyone in your family is going to turn out to be a violent sociopath, it's going to be her."

Emmett and Cristal shared a knowing look.

"I can almost guarantee you she's at least halfway there," She eventually said. "Her whole marriage and divorce was a sociopathic sham if I ever saw one."

"Thankfully, we're not famous," Emmett said, arms crossed. "We just have reasonable wealth. No one cares who we are, because we're not associated with Jacques, etc."

"Jacques is going to end up behind bars if he's not careful," Cristal muttered. "He lies, dresses like a false king, and is asking for someone to bring him to task. I'll be damned if he has a shred of affection for Willa."

"We all will be," Emmett sadly agreed. "It doesn't look that way, though."

"That's grim," Glynda said, but then she sighed. "Not untrue, though."

"Jacques is going to keep us all on our toes until the day he decides to finally take the old dirt nap," Cristal said, chewing at the end of a pencil. "Hopefully, one day, I'll behind him being jailed."

"We don't have any evidence," Emmett reminded her. "He's going to be untouchable."

"Again," Glynda said, pacing. "That's grim."

"Welcome to the family," Cristal said, leaning back against her chair and then realizing that the wine next to her was several days old. "Where infighting is all we do."

"Okay, so that's an exaggeration," Emmett said, putting his hands up in exasperation. "I hope you know that, Chrissy."

She shrugged. "I do, but the sentiment remains."

"This is why the two of you are off-putting to people who don't know you well," Glynda noted, and Emmett laughed. "Myself included, at one point long ago."

"Long ago in a galaxy far, far away," Emmett joked. "I have warmed on you, haven't I?"

"Yes, Emmett," She replied. "You and Chrissy are both close personal friends now, and have been since…what was it…"

"Irrelevant," Emmett dismissively adjusted his glasses. "And, for the record, I'm glad I'm not dating you."

She recoiled at the notion. "Don't disgust me, Emmett."

"Yeah," Cristal agreed, scowling at him. "Are you trying to be gross?"

"No, but I see your point," Emmett paused in consideration. "And it is becoming glaringly obvious."

"Well, just don't…" Glynda trailed off and then smiled. "Never mind that. You never listen to good sense anyways."

Emmett saluted her. "Damn right, your majesty!"


	7. To Cling or to Let Go

_**May 27th  
**__**City of Mountain Glenn  
**__**Unified States of Vale  
**__**Grimm Danger: Critical  
**__**5:34 PM**_

The city was in nothing short of chaos. Beasts of all shapes, sizes, and disguises were flying, pouncing, and screeching through the streets. There were screams. In the streets, the scene was nothing short of horrific. A woman lay dead in a pool of her own blood and her head was not fully detached from her body. Several others were dead around her, in similar states of pre-death distress. The bodies that were in the streets were mangled, and the chaos all around suggested that something darker may be afoot. It was a reality that the people of the city were struggling to take. Many of them had come from Atlas and had seen brutality in their line of work, and the same was true of the majority of them which were, of course, Valerian. This, however, was different. It was an attack by some of the most vicious, and untamed creatures in the world that were so hard to understand that it was viewed as a scientific mystery.

It was also no mass shooting or a bombing or a terrorist attack. The people, while they were unaware, were under attack by what had been created by the revered mastermind of the city. While he was not the mayor, he had not been a recluse. He spent so much of his time traveling, but that had been kept under the wraps. His work was shrouded in secrecy, and for good reason. He had a feeling that he would lose his visa and his residency in Vale if he were found out by the officials in Atlas. He damned them to hell, in his mind. After all, they were trying to halt his dreams of restoring the natural order. The grimm had always been stronger than humanity, but they were also not as evil as the world seemed to make them out to be. He knew he was deluded - the empty pill bottles that were piling up in his office were a testament to that - but he also knew that he had found a glimmer of truth. It was a beautiful, rare gem and he was a genius for it.

It was still a glimmer, he doubted, that the leaders of Atlas and the other kingdoms would understand. In their arrogance, they were ignoring reality. He was firmly convinced that the grimm would not act in the violent ways they had been proven to do without a master. They were unlike any other animal. They disintegrated after death and were therefore almost impossible to study. Their origins were desperately unclear, and, most notably, they sought out humanity for the sake of killing. Other animals were content in killing themselves within the food chain. The existence of grimm was in defiance to biology and to the knowledge they had of the universe. There were no fossil records, there was no definite start date for them to come into being. They were an enigma. An impossibility. Yet they continued to exist, and they continued to ravage.

Merlot knew nothing of the Queen and the spell she had placed upon the creatures alongside the darker of the creators. He knew not of the truth that lay in all of the religious practices of Remnant. Some called the Brother God of Darkness simply the Devil; an evil being that sought nothing more or less than to tempt the world into panic, death, and an endless set of strife and violence with no defendants. Others thought he was merely a misunderstood demon. Merlot did not care of such things, and he was never going to. Nor did he care of the Queen and likely would not even if he knew of her. He would view her as an obstacle in his way, just as he viewed the leaders of Atlas and Vale as such. His dreams would not be halted, and he would be the first to successfully create a restored grimm.

That day, however, was not today. His experiment had failed and collapsed in on itself like a dying star about to change its existence and become a vortex that would destroy everything that came too near to it. It was a complete and utter disaster, and he was concerned that it would become pinned upon him. Already, despite the carnage, he was planning his escape. He cared not of the people dying below. They were collateral damage, and they were going to become part of his undoing. If the officials in Atlas ever got even a wind of what happened, he would be damned. That damn huntsman that had been in the city wasn't doing him any favors either. He had unmistakable red eyes and tousled dark hair but, in Merlot's mind, his scythe was the prime identifier. As he tore through the room and shoved everything into bags, he prepared himself to step into and fly off in the transport waiting for him on the roof.

Yet, hearing the screams below, he was given pause even as he made his escape. And, so, Merlot, the mastermind himself, was watching the disaster unfold without a care in the world. He flew away from the disaster feeling vindicated. It had worked. He had been successful to the most vital extent, and that was all that mattered. He had a foundation.

The Atlesian Council could destroy it all.

* * *

Cristal Schnee scowled at the girl sitting across from her and then slammed her laptop shut and shoved her things into her bag.

"Leaving so soon?" The girl taunted.

Cristal found her scowl only deepening. "Sorry, I intend to pass my bar exam the first time I take it, not wing it for the sixth."

She scoffed. "Oh, please, I'm not that bad. I have other things on my mind, you know."

"I'm sure you do, Allison," Cristal snapped. "Tell your husband that. Maybe he can have his rich father bribe your pass."

She bristled. "I could never ask such a think of Blake! How dare you?"

"I dare because I am sick and tired of people like you acting as if the world will bow to your every command! If you want things in life, work from them, damn it!" Cristal paused to regain her composure and then shook her head. "Do you even know what leading the witness means? The last time I had to be involved in an internship case with you, which thankfully was only during my first year of law school, you would scream it at practically everything and admitted that you weren't so sure that the client was innocent! My God, are you feigning ignorance or are you really that stupid?"

"Stupid?" She shrieked. "Stupid?"

"Then what does leading the witness mean?" Cristal exclaimed in exasperation, all but slamming her glasses against her face while her dark, wavy curls sprung out around her. "Please don't tell me you haven't -"

"It's making them say things!" Allison said haughtily, crossing her arms. "You know, making them incriminate themselves."

Cristal sighed. "It's more similar to a loaded question. A question asked with the clear intention of getting a certain answer from the witness brought to the stand."

"So," Allison Adel smiled at the small woman and it was anything but sincere. "It's an issue that prosecutors face. Funny...isn't that what you're studying to become?"

She crossed her arms. "Yes, but it is not something only known for being used by prosecutors for less than honorable reasons -"

"Oh, do drop the pretense," She said sweetly, stepping over to her and, much to Cristal's chagrin, looped an arm around her. "I know you have trouble prepping for cases. Aren't most of the books in your office for children?"

Cristal glowered. "If you must know, the only non-legal book in my cramped as I'll get out office is one I borrowed from a friend called the Priory of the Orange Tree."

Allison blinked. "Sorry?"

"It's a fantasy, on a scale similar to the Lord of the Rings," Cristal said, wrenching herself out of the taller woman's grasp. "And quit doing that just because I'm tiny!"

"What are you, four feet tall?" Allison sneered.

Cristal snorted. "Four feet and nine inches on the dot."

"Well, just remember that I can reach into high places that you and your family can't," She shook her head. "Your sister - Willow - made such better choices than the rest of you. What happened?"

Cristal tensed and suddenly felt rather cold.

"You know nothing of my family," She finally said. "Or of our struggles and loyalties."

"And yet your sister and her husband are in the top one percent of the country and the rest of you...well are average," She sent her a sympathetic look but Cristal was almost certain it was fake. "You're lucky that you're still on mommy and daddy's money. Wasn't Emmett finally cut off?"

"That's because he has a job now," Cristal bit off. "He's an assistant combat professor at Atlas Academy and making decent money, especially considering that he's not even a full professor."

"Then I think your only job should be to marry rich," Allison winked. "It's certainly helped me."

Cristal stared at her, wanting to cry but forcing it back. She was not going to let her former friend get the best of her. Their high school days had long since passed. Even with that in mind, though, she felt wounded. She had no idea how to broach the subject of marriage with her partner of nearly two years and seeing Glynda and James' marriage was only serving to make it worse, not that Allison had any way of knowing that. Her words meant nothing, did they?

"Allison," She said, taking in a long, calming breath. "Fuck off."

She took a step back, startled. "Excuse me."

"Fuck off," She repeated, then storming out of the library. "Maybe five years in Azkaban would loosen her tongue…" She muttered.

If only every part of her hadn't a pang of guilt for saying it.

* * *

"James, we need to talk," Glynda said, adjusting her glasses but also looking to him and setting down the files in front of her and her scroll. "And, before you ask -"

"I completely agree -" He started.

"Let me finish," She said, and he nodded shortly. "First off, I found out today that we're having twin girls."

James stared for a moment, stunned, but then he smiled. "That's wonderful."

She smiled back as he sat down beside her and wrapped an arm affectionately around her.

"Secondly," She said, sighing tiredly. "I also received a job offer this afternoon."

"Really?" He said, feeling almost guilty. "Here?"

"In Vale," She said, squeezing his hand reassuringly. "Don't worry, I'm not going to force you to ask Ciel and the others to change your orders."

"Where, exactly?" He gently pressed. "Please tell me it's in the city of Vale."

"Not the city proper, but close enough," She replied. "I was offered a position at Beacon Academy, as a dual lead combat professor."

"That'll make Emmett jealous," James chuckled. "But, really, that's great news."

"I haven't been given the position yet," She warned him. "I have a meeting with the headmaster at the end of next month, maybe sooner if possible.."

He glanced around to the boxes that were overflowing in their tiny apartment.

"I think we'll be able to handle leaving and moving into our new apartment in Vale," He said, and she rolled her eyes but then began to laugh. "That was serious!"

"I know it was," She said, calming herself. "I know."

He pressed a kiss to her cheek. "I'm sure you did."

"I'm not exactly sure what this meeting with the headmaster will entail, but I'm almost certain that Chrissy did...well something," She shook her head. "I love the girl to death, and if she gave me a leg up I'm not going to complain, but, at the same time…"

"Let's not tell Emmett?" He suggested.

She considered that. "I'm pretty sure Emmett is smart enough to figure it out on his own."

"Does he know about the girls?" James asked, tucking a stray lock of her hair behind her ear.

Glynda scowled. "Do you really think I would have told Emmett - who gossips like an old woman - before I told you? They're not his kids!"

"I'm glad for that," He said. "Very glad, actually."

"So am I," She said, then grimacing at her own thoughts. "No, I am not even going to think about that. He's more like my brother than anything else and...heaven forbid."

"To be honest, I'm not sure who's going to be more shocked the day Emmett has kids, if he ever does," James smirked, and she let out a quiet groan. "Him or the rest of us."

"Don't put those thoughts in my head," She protested. "I have enough I need to think about without it being screwed with by the notion of Emmett procreating!"

"Sorry," James said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Sorry..."

She sighed. "It's fine, okay?"

A silence fell over them for a moment and she began to start packing once more but she paused.

"James," Glynda murmured. "Do you think we're going to be alright? That we'll be able to be there for what the girls may need?"

"Yes," He said almost immediately. "We're not our own parents, after all."

"Your family is complicated, mine is relatively normal," She reminded him. "I don't have a problem with my parents or my brothers."

"I don't have issues with my mom," James said, nervously rubbing at his neck. "Actually, that brings me to another subject I wanted to address with you."

Glynda raised an eyebrow and crossed her arms. "What might that be?"

"My father contacted me last week," He said slowly. "He said that he heard that we got married and were expecting, and he wants to meet his grandchild. Grandchildren, now, of course, but -"

"The man has floated in and out of your life since you were young, why let him back now?" She asked, her words sharp but her tone surprisingly gentle. "After all of the pain you and your mother went through -"

"He's human, Glyns," James said with a heavy sigh. "Doesn't he deserve to get to meet his grandchildren?"

She paused but then threw her hands up, exasperated. "Fine," She said. "If it means that much to you."

He tried to smile but found he couldn't.

"I'm lucky to have you," He finally said. "I don't know what I'd do if I didn't."

* * *

"Fancy seeing you," Ashlynn Schnee said bitterly, sitting down across from her brother-in-law in his study. "You know, when I'm done with you, the only strings that'll be found are the strings you're hanging from."

Jacques recoiled. "I'm sorry?"

"Not important," She said, brushing it off with a dismissive flick of her wrist. "So, tell me dear Jacques: what is it you want from me?"

He sent her a nasty look. "Do you really get off to being an insufferable know it all?"

"Do you want me to skewer you with…" She glanced around his study but then snatched up a stapler. "You want to see pain?"

"Have you been drinking?" He incredulously exclaimed.

"Not today, actually," She said, then rolling her eyes and casually leaning back. "But, I have to ask: what were you doing in Alheny last week?"

"What were you doing in Alheny last week?" Jacques snapped. "Following me around, I assume? Trying to bring yourself back into the spotlight?"

"Darling, if I were trying to bring myself back into the spotlight I'd be screwing people left and right," She laughed and fluffed her dyed white hair. "I'd probably even -"

"Do not sicken me, Ashlynn," Jacques said, his voice precise and with a deadly edge to it. "I have had enough of your nonsense over the years."

"Don't you understand that I'm never going to stop?" She smirked. "You see, people like you will never -"

"Succeed?" He laughed dryly. "You are out of your mind. Tell me: what poisoned you?"

"That's not a question I'll ever let you hear the answer to," She replied tartly. "You should also know that I don't mind it if I'm stuck or crazy. After all, look how far I've gotten. I'm almost as wealthy as you, considering what I got out of my divorce."

His eyebrows raised and his mustache quivered. "Is wealth all you think about?" He eventually said.

She scoffed. "It's all you ever think about, I can guarantee that."

"I do wonder if you're ever going to survive," He murmured, reaching for and taking a sip of his whisky. "I never have had much faith in you."

"Open your eyes," She said, leaning towards him with her amber eyes narrowed. "Perhaps you'll see something for once. Other than yourself, of course."

He matched her stare. "I doubt you could understand the lengths I have gone to bring this family forward and to keep it there."

She snorted. "If you mean damn us all, then you're correct."

"You're insufferable," Jacques hissed. "Absolutely insufferable."

"And you're a cruel, arrogant man," Ashlynn pursed her lips. "And the only thing that separates me from you is that I have a reason for the things I do, rather than for wealth while subjugating people who -"

"Did you hear the news?" Jacques said mildly ignoring her words. "Emmett and his boyfriend...that...Dean Carson...they broke up."

Ashlynn flinched despite herself. "They've been together for months and now…"

"It's a relief," Jacques said, then shaking his head. "Although I doubt it will do much to cool Emmett's temper. He's quite -"

"If anyone in this family has a temper, it's me," Ashlynn stood up and slapped her hands against his desk with her eyes flaring. "And, believe me, I could do any number of terrible things to you!"

"I'm starting to believe that," Jacques said, for the first time in her memory, looking afraid. "You really are clinging to insanity, now aren't you?"

"No, I'm waiting for the right opportunity to make a move and take what I want," She grinned. "You see, as you well know, I don't compromise. I take what I want, when I want it."

"You are a danger," Jacques said, his voice wavering much to his chagrin. "And a complete menace to society."

"Oh, I would tend to disagree," She said, swaggering towards the door. "But I hope you're prepared for what's to come. After all, you're not going to be in a position like this forever. One day, your empire will fall."

"I never have trusted the psychitiy of your family," Jacques muttered under his breath.

"It comes from the hint of long lost magic in our line," She replied, lingering in the doorway with a smirk. "Or so I am told, at any rate."

The door slammed behind her with a deafening snap.

* * *

"We received intelligence two hours ago of a serious blow in the Mountain Glenn area," Admiral Winchester, the chair of the Atlesian National Security council stood before the group of nine and their assistants as if he were a statue. "The city is in a state of absolute chaos and will likely be fully destroyed by the time the day is out while Merlot is missing and thought to be - potentially - responsible. As far as we know right now, five hundred and twelve people are dead."

A heavy silence fell over them, and it seemed that not even the clocks would ever be heard ticking again in their foreboding rhythm.

"When was that number last updated?" Elizabeth Morell finally asked, nodding shortly to Karissa, who promptly began to take notes. "Or is that the most recent figure?"

Admiral Winchester pursed his lips and gave her a sharp incline of the head.

"I'm afraid that's so," He said, beginning to pace. "We won't have more information until the situation calms down enough to send people in. This may be a terrorist attack...but, as I said, it may very well be an inside job. By Dr. Merlot himself."

LCDR Emmeline Ciel narrowed her eyes as he projected the last bit of video feed recorded before the connection was lost to the CCTS tower in Vale.

"Some of those don't look any grimm I've seen before," She remarked. "Have they been identified?"

"Not on any records, official or otherwise," Winchester informed them. "This leaves us very few options as a result."

"Then find Merlot," Tara Sparks, the head of the Department of Local and National Law Enforcement said. The tired creases in her forehead seemed to tighten as she spoke, and she looked far older than forty-eight as she pressed her hand against her head. "And arrest him. He needs to undergo investigation and trial for his crimes, if, of course, he committed any."

"I would be shocked if he hasn't committed any," Elizabeth said darkly. "The fact that he's kept the results of his...so-called studies a secret implies he has something to hide, and, given this, I think it is safe to assume that it's not within the law."

"We can't make any assumptions at this time," Tara sharply reminded her. "As you would do well to remember."

"Well, whatever the case, this has become an issue of security," Winchester paused and glanced towards the feed. "And the amount of lives it has cost is disturbing. It has only been sixty one years since the Great War and, frankly, we don't need another one. The things that happened in Vacuo were bad enough, and we don't want a repeat. Our...attempts at early neutrality were futile and when Mistral begged us for help, we had no choice. I know that you all don't need a history lesson, but the states of Vacuo were unstable enough and it's part of why the final clash between the four most significant powers in the world was so bloody. Vale's own states were decimated too, and I certainly wouldn't say Mistral came out unscathed."

"Your point?" Elizabeth irritably pressed, feeling as if he were rambling for the sake of rambling.

"Atlas has always had a pivotal role in the peace and stability in the world," Winchester said shortly. "If we fall apart, if our alliances in Sanus cannot hold, I dread that we will all pay the price for it."

"Well, since the end of the war we've been the strongest power in the world," Tara sighed heavily. "But, yes, I see your point, Admiral Winchester. Since the...attack on our ship in one of the desert states of Vacuo last year, we've been under increasing risk and, I'm afraid, Merlot's being Atlesian is not helping us in maintaining our alliances. Vale may very well blame us."

"That I doubt," Elizabeth primly countered. "Merlot has disassociated himself from all the kingdoms and we're merely responsible for what happens to him after we recapture him. There is no need to reminisce history, there is no need for panic. We are still in a time of peace."

"A time of peace marred by serious violence," Kiara Davis, the head of the Department of Civil, Criminal, and Corporate Prosecution said. Much like Tara, she appeared far older than her age of forty-five in this moment. She was clearly exhausted. "There is nowhere for any of us to hide from this."

"But still a time of peace," Elizabeth shook her head. "We cannot let that slip through our fingers, and we will do everything our power to maintain it, even if it means we have to quell the threats from Merlot and that...dangerous faction in eastern Vacuo that has orchestrated -"

"How can you maintain -" Kiara started.

"Enough," Admiral Winchester said sharply, the look he gave them telling all of them to remain silent. "We will not debate anything right now except for what we are going to do about Merlot. We have no choice but to go after him. He is a danger to the world, and to us, and we must find him and arrest him. At this moment, this is the only choice we have left. Be prepared for the worst."


	8. Not Without the House That Doubt Built

_**July 5th  
Schnee Manor  
City of Atlas  
United Kingdom of Atlas  
11:49 AM**_

"Jacques!" Emmett crossed his arms upon letting himself into, uninvited, his brother-in-law's study. Unflinchingly, Jacques looked up at Emmett. He had, essentially, been dealing with him since Emmett had figured what kind of family he had unwittingly been a part of or, more accurately, Cristal had made that determination and told him what she knew. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

"What are you talking about?" Jacques responded and he moved closer to him.

"Telling your daughter, your ten-year-old daughter, that she's only allowed to train as a huntress because you'll have someone to take her place soon enough? That's a new low, even for you." Without even realizing it, Emmett reached for his weapon despite not having it on him.

"Not so dangerous without your sword, are you?" Jacques voice was uncannily calm, pissing Emmett off further but also effectively distracting him from discussing what happened with Winter.

"I don't need a weapon," He snapped. "I have the high ground."

"But you won't kill me," Jacques replied evenly.

"Of course I won't!" Emmett's voice continued to rise, and he sighed in exasperation as he pushed up his glasses. "I'm not an idiot and I would get much more satisfaction from ruining the rest of your life. So, believe me when I say that I will train Winter day and night until she is one of the most talented aspiring huntresses to start at any of the academies!"

Jacques laughed. "Don't you have something better to do with your time?"

"I want to ask you the same thing," Emmett said tersely. "But since I'd rather not hear stories about your sex life –"

"I don't understand why you are always so insistent on being so repugnant," Jacques said, slowly standing up in an attempt to intimidate the smaller, younger man. "Then again, I suppose you don't understand how to -"

"Listen to me, I don't know why you have to be the world's biggest jackass, but I can't believe you. You don't care about your daughter and even she can tell. She's a child and you are making her life twenty times as hard as it needs to be." Emmett was shaking in anger as he continued to glare, everything about this situation upsetting him.

"I do care about my daughter," Jacques said with narrow eyes. "I am hard on her because she needs to be tough and –"

"That's different than emotional and physical abuse," Emmett shook his head. "You married into the family for the name and fortune – see, you don't even deny it." He noted off of Jacques' reaction. "Second, you don't pay even a little bit of attention to your daughter and you've hurt both her and your wife. Third, you crush the heart and soul out of the company my father worked himself nearly to death to build. Fourth, you get rid of my sister for doing the right thing. Fifth, the minute you find out that I'm a bisexual, you ask me why I don't just date either or if I'm attracted to both. Sixth, you have left lasting scars on both your wife and daughter and now you're talking about having another child? Is there anything in you that isn't inherently selfish?"

"You need to calm down and stop acting like this. Your father trusted me, your sister trusts me, and you should too." Jacques was still calm, if noticeably annoyed, and he completely ignored everything he said.

"My father didn't know you and… and Willa stays with you in spite of everything," Emmett said, his voice shaking. "As for the rest of us, we can see what you really are."

Jacques slapped him hard across the face and Emmett paused, considered slapping him back, but then sighed. Without another word, he began to stalk back off towards his car. Vowing to make good on training Winter, he decided that by the end of next week he'd begin her training. It was going to take time, but she was going to develop her semblance to its full potential. Control. Ability. Etc. Remembering his training, Emmett admitted that it was not easy to learn to use some of the aspects of his semblance; summoning and time dilation, for instance. Overall, though, he knew that she'd be able to handle it, even if it took time. But as it happened, he was just about to step into his car when his sister stopped him.

"Emmett Arthur Schnee, what the fuck is wrong with you?" Willow grasped his wrist tightly to stop him.

He paused and turned to face her in surprise.

"Emmett, listen," Willow said, her voice wavering. "I don't know what you gain from telling Jacques the same things that I've heard Cristal say and then some, let alone what you've told Winter about him, but I don't like it."

"Why? She likes you," Emmett stared at her. "I made it very clear to her that you've always wanted to be a mother and that –"

"Emmett, I don't want her to have an adversarial relationship with her father. I love Jacques, and I love Winter, and I…how dare you do things like this!" Willow's eyes were blazing in equal parts sadness and anger.

Emmett fell silent, unable to respond for a long time. Then, he shook his head.

"Willa," He said gently. "Is it really helping anyone if this is the way Winter's forced to grow up? And what about you and Jacques planning to have a second child? Do you really want both of them to have a rough childhood because of this?"

"I… I don't know!" She exclaimed. "Why can't you just let this be? It's none of your business how I handle my family, so why don't you…why don't you just go to hell? Let this go!"

"I'm not going to go to hell because I'm going to train Winter," Emmett looked at her sadly. "You won't do it yourself, so I will. She's going to be a great huntress, I promise."

Emmett finally released himself from her grasp and left. Picking up his scroll, Emmett punched in Glynda's number. No answer. Just voicemail.

_You've reached Glynda Goodwitch. Leave me a message._

The line beeped and Emmett began. "Glyns, listen, you're never going to believe this..."

* * *

"Before you ask," Spencer Ciel said, awkwardly sitting down across from Cristal in her apartment. "My dad's still mad at me, and it's because I am a teacher and not something he deemed more acceptable."

She rolled her eyes. "You're not just a teacher, you're a beloved Atlas Academy professor that works with my dear brother and keeps him in line."

"Chrissy, I've only been teaching for a year and I really wouldn't call myself a beloved professor," He said, and she started laughing. "And, besides, I never even got to teach your brother all about the ways he's wrong and that the Great War was not over a world leader stealing another world leader's sandwich. I only teach the first and second years."

"Well, and they were in Vale," Cristal shrugged. "Whatever the case, since he's your TA, make sure to never let him forget it."

"You're terrifying, aren't you?" Spencer said, running a hand through his shaggy dark hair. "Have you always been this way?"

"Probably," She replied, winking. "How's 'Rissa? With your baby girl having been born just over a month ago...May 30th, right?"

Spencer nodded. "She's taken some time off work, and, to be honest, I can't blame her. Thank God they're paying her, though. I'm probably paranoid, but I'm scared about something happening, what with what happened to Mountain Glenn and with Nattie being a little one. She's a surprisingly relaxed baby. She sleeps well...for the most part, and she eats like she's supposed to. Honestly, I think I might be losing more sleep than 'Rissa."

"There's nothing wrong with being concerned," Cristal gently reminded him. "And I know you were both worried. It's fine, and I think there's evidence to support that, isn't there?"

"I know," He said tiredly. "Things have just been difficult."

"If this is about Edward, he needs to be more concerned about doing his job than he is about you not being whatever the hell he wanted," She said, pausing for a moment in thought. "And I get being scared. The way things have been going just this year alone...well, it's enough to scare anybody."

"We're going to lose peace if we're not careful," Spencer said dejectedly. "At least, considering Mountain Glenn, and -"

"Tell Edward that he needs to tread lightly," Cristal told him. "That if he doesn't want his legacy to start and end with a storm that he needs to be less of a kindly, well-meaning, bumbling politician. He needs to be sharper, harsher, and swifter, and if that means -"

"He's not going to listen," Spencer warned her. "He'd much rather pretend that everything is lovely than face that we're looming on the possibility of war."

Cristal sighed. "Well, hopefully he'll figure out that isn't feasible sooner rather than later. After all, we can't hope that everything's going to be fine and that we're neutral to conflict when our military is all over the world. I just hope he knows that it's easy to lead when things are peaceful but it's much harder to do so when there is something on the horizon. Something deadly."

* * *

"Shit…"

Qrow Branwen stared at the scene before him and James Ironwood. The two of them had been sent by the Atlesian and Valerian Councils to document the extent of the damage to Mountain Glenn, and it was more than substantial. It had been two months since the so-called accident, and it was becoming more than apparent to both men that it had been no accident. There was dried blood caked on almost every surface, and there were still grimm prowling about the area. They had already needed to kill a few of them, but that had been more than enough to prove that what happened there went far deeper than grimm breaching poorly designed security. It was almost as if it had been planned. The only sounds they could hear for a long time were their own footsteps. By the time the entire place had been mostly accounted for, considering that none of the buildings were safe to enter, they stepped into the transport to take them back to the City of Vale. The tunnels between the two cities had, now, been sealed indefinitely and for good reason. There was something - so much - that was simply not right about Mountain Glenn.

"Does ol' Eddie Ciel know everything is falling apart?" Qrow finally said. "'Cause it doesn't seem like he does. He's pretending everything's dandy, ain't he?"

James sighed. "Of course he knows...but I don't think he intends to act right now."

"Sounds like you disagree," He remarked dryly. "Am I right?"

"You are," He admitted. "I don't feel right about any of this and, frankly, I prefer the direct approach."

"You also got stuffed in lockers while at Atlas Academy," Qrow said with a faint smirk. "Or so I heard."

"From who?" James exclaimed incredulously.

"From Emmett," Qrow said, grinning. "I ran into him a few weeks ago when I was in the kingdom and we had drinks...I think I had too much, though, 'cause I fell over a pool table or something. He was bitching about his boyfriend, who dumped him, and I got him talking about what it was like at Atlas Academy."

"I never got stuffed anywhere," He told him, crossing his arms. "I did take several naps in the footlocker in our dorm, but that was to avoid going to dress parades."

Qrow burst out laughing. "Never…" He wheezed. "Did I think you would be one to break the rules."

"I am human," He irritably replied.

"And I am possibly able to lift full size trucks off of people with one hand," Qrow sarcastically said, his voice almost taunting. "I bet people don't want me to risk my life to do that, though."

James scowled. "That's not helpful, Qrow. There's enough -"

"I ain't afraid of Ciel," Qrow taunted. "She's just a bitch with a stick up her ass."

"That's what you think of everyone in Atlas," He said, standing up and gazing out the window. "Are you afraid of anything?"

"Not particularly," Qrow rolled his eyes. "All things considered. At this point, I don't really care about much either."

"Of course you don't…" He said under his breath.

"You Atlesians are full of yourselves, Jimmy," Qrow said, glancing out the window himself as they began to descend back into the city of Vale. "All of you are, and aren't you friends with Emmett Schnee? That man doesn't care about anything but money and sex, I guarantee -"

"Evidently, you don't know what you're talking about," James sent him a disdainful look. "Emmett doesn't have the Schnee fortune, either. That went to Jacques because their father didn't exactly have a good relationship with them."

"Really?" Qrow said skeptically. "You expect me to believe that."

"If you care so much, you can ask him yourself," James said, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Or his sister."

"Oz's girlfriend…" Qrow muttered. "I don't know what he sees in her."

"You could try pulling your head out of your ass and stop drinking," James told him. "All things considered, I don't think you know anything about Atlas or any of us."

"Well, I'm not going to sleep with the enemy," Qrow snapped. "Your arrogance, your feigned neutrality! All of it is a front, and the whole world knows it because your military is in every part of the world! I'd be willing to put money on the notion of you becoming a general in the next twenty years! Are you all really so blind that you think you're neutral and discreet, or do you all just not give a damn?"

James narrowed his eyes but then stepped off without dignifying Qrow's words with a response.

"I'm sick and tired of this…" He swore under his breath, reaching for his flask but then stopping. "Things are only going to get worse from here, I'm certain."

Little did he know just how right he was.

* * *

Fidgeting nervously as she made her way up the elevator to the top of Beacon Tower, Glynda couldn't stop the onslaught of thoughts of concern. James was at the apartment, continuing to slowly put the place together while working on updating files for Ciel. She was tired, and the fact that she and James were both going to need to be ready for their two baby girls in September. Probing her mind, she finally decided that the only reason she was being irrational in the first place was because she was nervous about the meeting. Hyper focusing herself as the elevator doors opened at the top of Beacon Tower, she walked out as calmly as possible with her riding crop in hand. She had only met him a few times before, and only briefly with Cristal. She was almost certain that Cristal had given her a leg up here, but it didn't bother her as much as she had thought it did a few months ago. Ozpin turned around in his chair almost at the second the elevator doors closed behind her.

Ozpin himself was much younger than most people would expect, with his dark hair only showing a few strands of silver. His eyes were barely visible behind his glasses and next to him was his cane. He motioned her towards him, and she kept her hand tightly on her crop while her cape trailed in the air behind her. Crossing her arms from the chill of the room, Glynda waited for him to speak. For several minutes, he didn't. Instead, he observed her. Little things like the faint annoyance and confusion that was in her eyes, her unconscious pushing of her glasses further up her face, her shifting of her weight from side to side every so often, the way she never put down her crop, and especially how impatient he could tell she was despite how he could imagine she would deny it. Reading people was something that, over his many, many, many years, came easy to him.

"How old are you Glynda?" Ozpin finally asked.

He had decided almost as soon as she accepted the position at Beacon that he was going to bring her into the group. He wasn't sure how much she knew, but he doubted that Cristal had said anything about the group to her. He had only told her about it a year ago, and he knew she was still trying to reconcile it within herself. If he were being completely honest, he was still trying to reconcile within himself and he had lived it from the start.

"Twenty-three," Her reply was direct and her voice clipped.

Ozpin startled but then nodded. "You attended Atlas Academy, were a member of Team JGED, and you and your team finished training a year early per the accelerated placement of your team, yes?"

"Yes," She confirmed, slight confusion creeping into her mind.

Ozpin took another look at her before deciding that she was capable. "Your fighting abilities as displayed at Atlas and in the field are rather impressive."

"Thank you?" She said, still befuddled.

"As I've stated earlier, I want you to be the professor for combat for the next three years starting next September, as this term ends in November. That being said, you'd still be primarily a huntress." Ozpin shifted position again and leaned on his cane. "There is, however, another role or two that I'll need you to fill."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "What's that?"

"Well, I'll need you to assist me in my aims here, and that does not only include just Beacon." Ozpin's serious tone increased as he went on. "You are familiar with the legends and fairytales of our world, I assume?"

She stared at him, almost exasperated. "Yes, but –"

"Glynda, part of what I'm asking you to do is not easy to hear," Ozpin sighed. "It certainly overwrites what we, as a collective society, have decided to be fact versus fiction. That being said, do you want to take this opportunity?"

She nodded. "Yes, though I've got more than one question about –"

"Emmett Schnee was a member of your team, wasn't he?" Ozpin asked quickly.

Glynda sighed heavily. "Yes, but what does Emmett have to do with –"

"I assume that you also know of LCDR Ciel of Atlas, and Emmett's sister, Cristal." Ozpin added.

She blinked but then her eyes narrowed. "Yes, but –"

"Apart from myself and a few others, LCDR Ciel and Cristal Schnee have a…" Ozpin chuckled. "As Qrow put it, a part time job. We protect this world."

She hesitated. "What are you talking about?"

"Do you remember the Story of the Seasons?" The serious tone was retained in Ozpin's voice and, feeling resigned, Glynda let her crop rest by her side as she leaned into the wall.

"Yes," She said tiredly. "Four girls who inherit magical powers from a crotchety old curmudgeon to which they show the beauty of the world and its changes."

"Exactly," Ozpin said, slight amusement from her response ringing in his voice. "Although I wouldn't exactly say 'crotchety old curmudgeon'."

She crossed her arms. "Professor Ozpin, if I may –"

"Glynda," Ozpin said carefully. "If I told you that that story was real, how would you take it?"

Pausing as slight anxiety spread through her, she didn't respond for several seconds. Of all of the absurd things she had been expecting, that was not one of them.

"Are you saying that it is?" She questioned.

Ozpin smiled a tad at her intuition. "Yes, I am."

"Are you sure you haven't lost it?" Glynda asked, much harsher than she had expected. "I mean, it's a fairytale that I'm sure every –"

"I'm not normal, I can assure you. However, I am sane. Naturally, I'm not surprised that you're questioning that," Ozpin shook his head. "Cristal seemed to be expecting as much."

"What?" She demanded, irritated.

"Don't get angry with her, it's my fault," Ozpin sighed.

Without even thinking about it, Glynda shifted her crop in irritation in her hand. "So -"

"I can assure you, if you need Ciel to confirm this that I can call them." Ozpin placed his scroll into the projection dock on his desk and sent out a video call to LCDR Ciel when she didn't respond any further than crossing her arms again. It took only a few seconds for Ciel to answer.

"Oz," She looked at him before her gaze shifted to Glynda. "Let me guess, he just told you about the maidens."

"Yes," Glynda sighed as she pushed her bangs back. "It's –"

"Insane, I know." Ciel laughed before she looked at the younger woman seriously. "It is real, though. I promise this isn't some form of an elaborate joke. To be honest, I thought he had lost it when I first found out too."

"But you realized that I wasn't joking and came to terms with it," Ozpin reminded her as she set down her weapon.

"Yes, you're right. Cristal didn't take it that well at first, either," She smiled. "The only reason she joined the circle was because she trusts you. In any case, welcome to our little clandestine group."

Glynda turned to Ozpin before looking back towards LCDR Ciel. "Is there anything else I should know?"

"Well…" Ozpin began slowly. "We only know the current whereabouts of one maiden. The Winter Maiden."

"Cristal Schnee, actually, as fate would have it," Ciel informed her when Glynda's expression altered in questioning again.

"As for Fall, Spring, and Summer…" Ozpin sighed. "Well we haven't much of a clue where they are. Apart from that, there is the problem of Salem."

"Salem?" Glynda asked, her nerves threatening her façade of calm.

"Have you ever wondered where the creatures of grimm come from?" Ozpin asked her.

Glynda snapped, her patience worn thin. "Of course I have, what huntress or huntsman hasn't?"

"They're created by her," Ozpin calmly informed her. "Salem is our primary enemy. She seeks, above all, to destroy mankind. The creatures of grimm, alongside her coerced human followers, are her tools in achieving that goal."

"Salem is also the reason Ozpin was cursed to reincarnate," Ciel added, looking as if she had gone through this story far too many times. "He failed to stop her once and now he's cursed, by the gods, to be reborn until he defeats her. That's why he's the man with two souls. He has his original soul that was cursed which is what merges with whoever it reincarnates into."

"The gods also left the relics," Ozpin pointed out. "Which brings us back around to the maidens. There is one relic for each maiden that can only be accessed by her. Each relic is hidden in each of the huntsman academies. Beacon keeps the relic for autumn –"

"And Atlas for the winter relic," Ciel stated, as she cut across Ozpin. "Haven keeps the spring relic, and, finally, Shade retains summer's relic."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "So if each of the maidens wanted to, they could obtain the relics?"

"Not exactly," Ozpin told her. "The relics are well hidden; ours is in the vault under the academy. As for Atlas Academy –"

"I told you Oz, I don't know where Tanner hid the winter relic and the current headmaster doesn't either," Ciel sighed. "It's just –"

"Paranoia, on the part of everyone in Atlas," Ozpin was surprisingly sharp with her and she, in response, took in a sharp breath in anger.

"We not paranoid!" She snapped. "We're all just taking every precaution necessary –"

"Emmeline," Ozpin said quickly. "You –"

"Ozpin! This is pointless to discuss!" Ciel sighed once more in an attempt to regain her composure. "I have made my views on the matter clear and you have done the same with yours."

Shaking his head and sighing, Ozpin turned back to Glynda in an attempt to get back on track. "The powers of the maidens transfer after the death of the last host. These powers go exclusively to young women - as in women between the ages of around fifteen to thirty-five - and, assuming the person in the last thoughts of a maiden is a woman within or around that age frame, the powers go to the person in the maiden's final thoughts. If the last person in their thoughts is a man or an older woman, the power transfers randomly."

"So, the selection process is fairly intimate?" Glynda asked, trying to understand what Ozpin was saying.

"Yes," LCDR Ciel confirmed. "And that is why the maidens are kept out of the public eye. Aside from the fact that their existence has faded into legend and we don't want to risk panic, the types of people that would track maidens down for their powers are not the people you want to have them."

"Does this make sense to you, Glynda?" Ozpin asked, trying to figure out what she was thinking.

"Yes," She conceded, though she was still shocked by what she was hearing.

"It's a lot to take in, I know." Ciel looked at Glynda sympathetically before she turned back to Ozpin. "I've got to go but we'll all meet up at Beacon in about a month, alright?"

"That was the plan." Ozpin stated as she ended the call and faded out. Looking back to Glynda, he sighed deeply, in thought. "Ciel, Cristal, and I will be here for our next meeting next month on the twenty-third."

"Of course." Glynda said, a chill falling over her.

She walked out of Beacon Tower calmly but everything running through her mind at a breakneck pace.

* * *

Atlesian President Edward Samuel Ciel immediately reached to call security upon seeing the delicate faunus woman step into the room. She was no flower, though she might appear as such. Despite her young age of twenty, she was an important member of the White Fang which helped guide the leadership of Menagerie which was maintained in the Belladonna family. Yet there was something dangerous about her, not even taking into account the weapons at her side. He was certain she was armed to the teeth, and, whomever had let her in, was going to be punished for it. She stepped towards him as he grabbed the phone linked to the intercom, and smacked it out of his hands before he could call for the authorities. He stared at her for a moment, his gaze betraying a sliver of fear behind the anger.

"I'm not going to harm you unless I have to," She said, her lips pressed into a thin line. "But, while the Belladonnas keep insisting that we be peaceful, I seek to move more swiftly because people like you are never going to see beyond your prejudices."

"I'm afraid I don't know what you're talking about," He replied coldly.

"I think you do," She said dryly. "And, so much as it pains me, I have to counter the position of my leaders. Fear and violence are the only way to make people like you fix the systems you've created to subjugate us."

"You will get nowhere trying to scare the people of Atlas," Edward informed her, standing up to his full height which caused her to take a step back. "Even in the face of war, we have not and will not fall."

"Your arrogance precedes you," Sienna said, her eyes narrowing. "Frankly, it defines the kingdom you lead as well. I should think you'd let it fall, knowing what I am capable of."

"You are known to have carried out an unordered assassination in Vale last year," He said, and she bristled despite knowing it was true. "Yet you seem to believe you can order the president of Atlas to bend to your will."

She took in a sharp breath and her stare only hardened while she seethed in anger.

"Edward Samuel Ciel, you will step down as president," She said, forcing her voice to remain steady. "Or, I'm afraid, I will have to kill you."

"No," He said with finality. "I do not take orders from you."

She raised an eyebrow. "You don't care about your life at all?"

"You have enough wits about you to know what a stir an assassination would cause," He said, reaching for the line once more. "And what it would cost you back in Menagerie."

"I do," She said. "But only if I am caught."

She began to strut out of the room but paused in the doorway and sent him a dark look.

"I would prepare myself, if I were you," She said darkly. "After all, your end is near."

* * *

Emmett Schnee knew how bad he looked in the moment. He had not been drinking, although he had been distracted and, apparently, that had impaired his (already dreadful) driving to the point of raising a police officer's concern. He stepped out of his car nervously, and put his hands up in surrender, considering whether or not to bend to arrest. He was terrified, and he was almost certain that the cuffs would dig into his wrists. He was now parked only a block away from his apartment, and all he wanted was to get inside and sleep. A moment paused in uncomfortable silence and then he was told to walk the straight line down the side of the road while tapping his nose with his hands. Emmett stared at the officer in slight concern but then began to attempt what she had said. His thoughts whirling, he could barely tell what direction was which, and, eventually, he turned to the cop and awkwardly stopped.

"I swear I'm not drunk," He said, and the cop shook his head. "Really! See, if I were drunk, I don't think I could do this!"

He began to dance but he realized, after about a minute, that him flailing his limbs like a flamingo on ritalin was not helping his case.

"Alright," The cop said, sighing upon seeing the negative result of his blood-alcohol. "You're free to go, Mister Schnee, but I'm going to have to fine you."

Emmett took the slip of paper from him but did not look at it until the officer had driven off. When he did, however, he swore under his breath.

"You alright, Emmett?"

He turned around to see Emmeline Ciel smirking at him.

"I haven't seen you in ages," He finally said, tiredly running a hand through his hair.

"A few weeks, and I've had work," She replied. "But seeing you get pulled over was a sight I couldn't help but see."

He stared at her incredulously. "You saw that?"

"All of it," She said, laughing softly. "I see your driving has finally raised concern."

"Oh, come on!" He protested. "I didn't get my license until last year! I waited awhile, okay, and it was for good reason!"

"Well, I'm looking forward to telling Chrissy about this," She shrugged. "I'm sure she'll enjoy hearing all about it."

"You two have been friends since day one," Emmett remarked. "Since she started law school, that is."

"I was finishing my masters of political science the year she started, and we had a few shared classes," She shook her head. "In hindsight, I'm glad I put off some of the easier credits for last."

"And now, you are witnessing my demise," He said, dramatically clutching his chest and locking his car. "Soon enough, the tinkling cymbals of your jubilance will encroach upon my depression."

She rolled her eyes and began to walk with him. "I wouldn't call myself jubilant."

"I wouldn't call myself that either," He replied. "I have been called a lot of things, though."

"I believe that," She said, and he laughed. "By your sister?"

"And a few other people," He said, pausing for a moment and then sighing. "One of whom I'm particularly mad at right now and it's not even my brother-in-law."

She glanced to him and her features considerably softened. "What happened?"

"I'd rather not get into it," He said shortly. "Let's just say that things have been rough."

"Emmett, listen," Emmeline hesitantly placed a hand gently on his shoulder. "If you ever need to talk, you can call me. We've been friends for a few years now, and I don't want to watch you suffer."

He nodded weakly. "Alright."

"I mean that," She said as she began to walk away and he stepped into the apartment complex. "I really do."

Yet what she could not explain was the buzzing she still felt in her hand and why she had found herself thinking of him more as time had continued to go on.

Time seems to go on into the abyss, after all.


	9. Eyes are Wasted on People Just Like Me

**_July 17th  
City of Atlas  
United Kingdom of Atlas  
Downtown  
12:49 PM  
_**  
"Thank God today is a student holiday," Emmett said, causing Spencer to laugh. "What? There's only so much I can take when they're all bouncy and keep asking the weirdest things. This is supposed to be a history class, not…well, when I figure out what the purpose of challenging me in bowling is, I think we'll all be better off."

"Don't take up that challenge," Spencer warned him. "I made that mistake once. You will get your ass kicked by a seventeen-year-old that is somehow incredible at a sport that is mainly played by people who drink a lot and like greasy pizza."

"Because you have to be drunk to think greasy pizza is good," Emmett remarked. "Good to know."

"That wasn't the point but you're not wrong," Spencer shook his head. "I don't recommend you challenge anyone to bowling, by the way."

"Does that include you?" Emmett teased.

Spencer shrugged. "I more mean my wife. Since Nattie was born, it seems like she has been better at everything. I bet she could kick your ass."

Emmett chuckled. "I won't test my meager luck."

"Sounds like you already do," Spencer said, reaching for his coffee. "Emily told me about how she saw you get pulled over for your driving."

Emmett turned pink. "She told you about that?"

"She was pretty amused," Spencer went on. "Could you really not walk a straight line and tap your nose?"

"Hey!" He protested. "That's harder than it looks!"

"She also said your dancing made you look even more drunk," Spencer smirked. "Out of curiosity, were you?"

"Of course not!" Emmett exclaimed, awkwardly adjusting his glasses and looking rather embarrassed. "I was just…look, I was annoyed with my brother-in-law, and I'm still mad about what happened between me and Dean. You know he's disappeared off the map? No one's heard from him in months."

"He was always sketchy," Spencer noted, and Emmett nodded weakly. "I still have to wonder what he was doing at Atlas Academy."

"I've wondered that too, admittedly," Emmett sighed. "He never did say why, and he wouldn't talk too much about his family. All I really know is from when we were younger. They were dirt poor, living in Mantle, his sister was a dumb teenager, his parents were killed under suspicious circumstances in a mining accident. To be honest, that's all I really know. I know he always hated that I was friends with Emmeline, but…"

"He was probably jealous," Spencer said, sending him a knowing look. "Don't deny that you're attracted to my sister. Cristal and I are taking bets on it, and I'd rather not owe her money."

Emmett blinked, caught completely off guard. "You're taking bets?"

"Your sister is terrifyingly persuasive when she wants to be," Spencer said, putting his hands up in surrender. "And her two hobbies seem to be gambling and drinking, so –"

"Okay, that's not fair to her," Emmett said, crossing his arms. "And my feelings towards Emmeline – if they exist or don't – are not about you two! Why would you take bets?"

Spencer smirked. "Because I think you're going to take things slow if you ever get with my sister and Cristal thinks the two of you are going to snap one day and –"

"Tell my sister to stop thinking about my sex life!" Emmett said, looking completely embarrassed. "And…well… just because Emmeline and I have spent more time together…and just because she's…well…"

"I have my answer," Spencer rolled his eyes and reached for his scroll. "I think that means Cristal owes me a thousand lien now."

Emmett stood up and lunged for Spencer's scroll but missed and ended up rolling onto the floor.

"A thousand lien?" He finally forced out. "You two bet that much money on me? How do you have any faith in anything I do?"

Spencer tossed him his own scroll. "Call her, Emmett. You've been single since mid-May, and it's not as if wallowing will do you any good."

Emmett may have scowled but he still stepped out into the hall and dialed in Emmeline's number nonetheless.

* * *

The situation was fucked up at best and, at worse, terrible and sick. She could barely feel anything upon the motorcade being attacked, and all there was seemed to be the speeding rush of death or something like it. Then she saw her hair darken with soot and it was almost its natural shade. The amber-eyed woman fell unconscious for a moment – it could have been a minute; it could have been twenty – and she tried to pull herself out of the wreckage but was unsure if she had. All she knew for certain was that she had a hazy memory of what she was almost certain to be Haven Academy before she felt something press under her nose and cover her mouth. It was less than a minute after that all sound seemed slowly fade out of existence and she fell back into the darkness with the only thing she could truly remember being the smell of roses and ashes. It was in that moment that she had the terrible realization that her status, her family name, and her amber eyes would not save her. In this moment, she was at the mercy of faces she had never seen.

* * *

"Well, congratulations on passing the bar exam!" Bartholomew Oobleck smiled and filled Cristal's wine glass with a fine port. "And for being taken on as a federal prosecutor!"

"It's only a low clearance position for now," She said, adjusting her glasses and looking almost embarrassed. "And it's my first time having an actual job –"

"Oh, pish posh," Peter Port exclaimed with a chuckle. "You beat Allison Adel, didn't you?"

She sighed. "Yes, although that was expected."

"Allison Adel…" Oobleck mused. "Was she the one with the psychotic, overbearing father?"

"If you're referring to Arthur Watts, then, yes," Cristal said, taking a small sip of her wine. "I believe he's in federal prison right now, on similar charges to what I expect Merlot will be prosecuted under."

"The Council is moving quickly with that case," Ozpin remarked, and she nodded shortly. "Although most of the evidence is public knowledge."

"He's already going to be charged with contempt of court," Cristal told them. "Apparently, he got enraged at a question and declared that 'the fools placed in power' are trying to halt his dreams."

"That sounds about right," Port shook his head. "I cannot believe that this man is responsible for so much carnage and yet believes himself to be righteous."

"Regardless of what he believes, he's going to be in prison for a very long time," Cristal said, absentmindedly tapping her free hand against the table. "Especially considering that the death toll for his…so-called experiments continues to rise as the situation is investigated further."

"If history is any indication, an example will be made of him," Oobleck said, mixing some coffee into his wine. "You know, coffee really does help correct any drink!"

"I should be mildly terrified by that," Ozpin said, laughing a bit. "But I suppose it is normal for you."

"Coffee soothes the soul and sharpens the mind!" Oobleck declared. "It is a gift from God!"

"That I agree with," Cristal said, smiling. "I don't think I would have gotten through law school without it."

"I don't think I would have gotten through high school without it!" Oobleck paused in brief consideration. "In all honesty, I don't think I would have survived high school if I hadn't left early to go to Atlas Academy! All things considered, my training as a huntsman is really what separated me from school sanctioned violence…and there's a reason I convinced Barty to never allow his students to play such things at Beacon."

Cristal raised an eyebrow. "If you're referring to dodgeball, at least you weren't the only senior under five feet. And you're four years older than me and two feet taller! I think you would have survived dodgeball just fine, because even before high school I was getting my ass kicked!"

He smirked. "That sounds like an exaggeration."

"Well, yes!" She shuddered at the thought. "On the other hand, I spent a lot of time letting out high pitched screams whenever people would throw anything or get too close to me in the halls, so I am more than happy to have left that all in the relatively distant past."

"Considering that you're twenty six, I would hope so," Port chuckled heartily. "Unless you're secretly part of a Fight Club-style group that plays dodgeball underneath the streets."

"No," She said, looking disgusted at the thought. "There are many things I would rather do than that, and some of them involved getting robbed by a –"

"Please don't finish that statement," Port all but begged her. "Knowing your brother, it'll probably make us wish we hadn't strung you along that path to begin with."

Cristal winked and her dark hair seemed to shimmer with the refraction of her glass as she set it down. She didn't notice it, but Oobleck sent Ozpin a meaningful look and he rested his cane against the table and reached for something in his pocket.

"Speaking of which," Ozpin said, taking in a deep breath. "I have something for you, Chrissy, and I've been waiting to give it to you until you finished law school."

She stared at him for a moment in surprise. "Really?"

"Close your eyes, silly," Oobleck told her, struggling to hide his grin.

She did so. "Alright, but –"

Ozpin took her left hand and delicately slid a sapphire ring onto her ring finger. "I really hope you'll be happy about this, because it could be embarrassing if –"

Cristal peaked and then looked to him, her eyes tearing despite herself.

"Are you serious?" She eventually said.

Ozpin nodded. "Yes."

She wrapped her arms tightly around him and smiled more than she had in a long time.

"I love you…" She murmured.

"I know," Ozpin said, gently stroking her hair. "And I love you too."

"I told you she'd say yes," Oobleck said, sending Port a pointed look. "Now pay up, cynical Pete."

Port rolled his eyes and handed him a crisp fifty. "Fine. Like always, you were right."

* * *

Summer Rose happily hummed to herself as she wandered through the small encampment that she and the rest of Team STRQ had established for themselves. It was only brief, considering their mission, but it was more than enough for their purposes. Qrow had gone off into the nearby town, which Tai had nicknamed Hatred on account of it being populated mainly by frightening Atlesians with guns. The official name of the town was actually Bridgeman, but it was in the deep south of Atlas and was coastal. There were more grimm here than in most parts of the kingdom (where the grimm levels were limited at most) and it was no wonder the people were armed to the teeth. Regardless, Qrow had gotten in a barfight with a burly woman that tried to shoot him up the ass and that had been the end of any liking he had for the area. Raven had taken great amusement in it, much to his chagrin, but Summer herself had been more concerned than anything else.

After all, if Atlesians weren't known for overreacting, being loud, smiling too much, and liking their guns, then what were they known for?

"Summer!" Raven yelled. "What the hell are you doing?"

She turned around suddenly on her heel and with a flick of her cape.

"I'm allowed to wander, you know!" She called back. "It's not like I'm an in-patient at a mental hospital that runs around with scissors asking people to cut my hair!"

Tai almost fell out of the tree had been sitting in nearby from his laughter.

"I'd love to see that," He wheezed, dusting himself off. "I bet it would be a sight to behold."

Summer pulled out a pair of fabric shears from within her skirt. "Want to have it inflicted upon your hair, Tai?"

He let out a yelp as she accurately threw the open shears into the tree just a few inches above where he was now sitting on the ground.

"That was assault!" He screeched. "Or attempted assault!"

"Don't be a pansy, Tai," Raven said, crossing her arms. "You're such a little bitch sometimes that it's not even funny. Did you join the Atlesian Council at some point?"

He stuck out his tongue rather childishly. "Oh, go suck it, Raven."

"You wish," She replied. "Summer would be more likely to do that than I would."

Summer squeaked and turned bright red.

"I'd rather do it to Qrow…" She finally muttered.

Raven recoiled in disgust. "No," She said. "I don't want to think about you screwing with my brother."

"Do any of us?" Tai casually remarked, reaching for an arrow nearby and sharpening it with Summer's scissors. "I hate telling him to put pants on after he gets too drunk."

Summer giggled. "There's something to believe in."

"No!" Tai shrieked. "Oh, God no!"

"You sound like a woman, Tai, tone it down a bit," Raven rolled her eyes. "You're going to attract the supernatural if you're not careful."

"If I attract some ghosts, then clearly that Ouija board of mine worked a little too well," Tai shuddered at the thought. "I don't want to die like that. I'm young! I'm too young to die a virgin!"

Summer scowled. "That wasn't information any of us needed to know!"

"And that could be easily remedied," Raven added. "If you wanted it to be, anyways."

Tai snapped his head towards her in shock. "What are you saying?"

"Exactly what it sounds like," Raven haughtily said, flipping her feathery hair over her shoulder. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to go kill something so we can have food."

"Don't get blood on your clothes!" Summer jokingly said.

A crow almost slammed into her side but slid onto the ground before shifting back into his human form.

"I hate Atlas," Qrow said, spitting on the ground nearby. "I think someone put something odd in my drink, so I'm going to have to clean out my flask and –"

"Classy, Qrow," Summer teased. "You're such a pimp."

"Yeah he is," Tai muttered.

"Hey!" Qrow protested. "You're a hot mess, Tai! Don't beat on me!"

Summer giggled. "Ooo…is some shit about to go down?"

"If he's not careful," Qrow remarked, and Tai rolled his eyes.

"Nah," He said, starting back to the tent. "All things considered, I think I like my face arranged the way it is."

But with what they would see that night, they all hoped that none of them would be stupid enough to not keep their mouths shut.

* * *

Senator Ronnie Ciel leaned against the open doorway to the office and tapped his knuckles against the doorframe.

"Elizabeth Morell," He said jovially despite the mildly irritated look she sent him. "Just the woman I wanted to see right now."

"If you're trying to flirt with me, I might have to go to HR," She said dryly. "Might I ask what you want, Senator Ciel or is that above my clearance?"

He sighed. "Might I come in?"

She raised an eyebrow but nodded shortly and gestured for him to shut the door.

"Now," She said as he sat down. "What is this about?"

"I came across something rather disturbing," He said, and she raised an eyebrow. "But we should start off a bit lighter, don't you agree?"

Elizabeth snorted. "Of course, Ronnie, that's reasonable. You're a politician through and through, now aren't you?"

"Lizzie, Lizzie," Ronnie said, nervously leaning away from her upon the glare she sent him. "You're a girl. You can commit a violent felony and it's okay."

"You have absolutely no respect for the law, it seems!" She exclaimed in nothing short of exasperation. "Or do you secretly have a shred of dignity?"

He flinched. "With that out of the way," He said, his hands shaking. "I thought you should know that I received some payments from Jacques recently, and –"

"Stop," She said, putting her hand up to silence him. "You've been taking bribes?" She surmised. "Or is it deeper than that?"

Ronnie stared at her incredulously. "I…look, Lizzie, I have done what I've had to not only to remain in power, but to keep Rebecca Neale silent –"

"Rebecca Neale?" Elizabeth's voice went up an octave in slight fear. "She's –"

"In league with something evil, I agree," He said, this time putting his hands up to silence her before she cut across him again. "But neither of us can place our fingers on what it is, so I had to bribe her. Jacques was more than willing to help me –"

"You're involved in conspiracy now?" She narrowed her eyes at him, completely sickened. "Oh, for heaven's sake, look me in my non-blind eye and tell me it isn't so!"

He raised an eyebrow. "You're blind in one eye? How are you allowed to drive?"

"I am not in the mood, Ronnie," She scowled at him and crossed her arms. "And taking bribes from Jacques? Good Lord, you're worse than I thought."

He crossed his arms. "Do you have any proof?"

"Not yet, beyond your words," She hissed. "But, believe me, I'll find some. You're a senator, Ronnie, how are you not smart enough to know that you don't tell your darkest secrets? Do you have any idea how illegal –"

"Just stay away as far away from Neale as you can," He all but begged. "I –"

"I'm not an idiot, you know," She said dryly. "And what reason do I have to trust you?"

He sighed. "I'm not lying."

"You better hope so," She replied. "Because, if you are lying, we're all going to be damned."

"I wouldn't risk lying to you, and you know it," He snapped. "And, as for my dealings with Jacques, most of them have been to keep dangerous people in line."

"Most of them?" Elizabeth repeated. "You're the president's son. Are you really daft enough to think this isn't a world-class scandal?"

Ronnie glared. "You're not helping, Lizzie. I'm trying to keep you out of trouble too."

"And I don't need advice from someone who is dishonoring everything I stand for," She said, shutting her computer angrily. "All things considered, Ronnie, it sounds like you're a desperate man trying to avoid prison."

"I just needed counsel –" He started.

"And you came to me?" She snorted. "Excellent choice. You haven't the slightest clue how that thrills me."

"Lizzie –" He desperately started.

"I'll keep your secret for now," She told him, but her voice was on a dangerous edge. "But if you're not careful, no one is going to protect you, much less me."


	10. Ain't Life a Bitch?

**_July 31st_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_Time: Indeterminate_**

The wasteland that surrounded her appeared as if it went on forever. The terrain was rocky; the sky a dark and foreboding red. Large purple crystals that appeared akin to raw gravity dust protruded up from the ground in various locations while the dark sky appeared to be stained red with blood. Pools of black that resembled tar were peppered around in various locations and from them the creatures of grimm rose out in large numbers – various species as well, not just one. Her hands were cuffed, and the faunus man who had captured her was handling her roughly. Her, of all people. Ashlynn's normally impeccable and pristine appearance was marred by her long, black hair in tangles. The white dye that her mother had forced upon her since the age of three was visible only towards the tips as the fading had been taking place since her disappearance. Her pants were stained, her blouse slightly torn, and her blazer faded. The only things about her appearance that didn't indicate how far she had fallen were her always striking amber eyes and her black pumps.

"Wait here," The man hissed at her while the fear that was beginning to consume her took its stride. He moved quickly, leaving her behind as he went through the doors.

There's no point in running, Ashlynn told herself in spite of her instincts. Here, of all places, they'll find me and do worse to me than I imagine they're already planning to.

Complicating matters further was the fact that she was lucky to be alive. Somehow, she managed to survive the bombing of the motorway in Mistral. She didn't make it out unscathed, however. There was a deep gash on her right arm and on her back. The blood had splattered everywhere. The last thing she remembered was being pulled out of the rubble and bodies were charred beyond recognition. DNA testing would be required for identification. The bomb had been planted, almost certainly, by the White Fang: an assassination attempt that had, predominantly, succeeded. She had been with many other Atlesian council members en route to Haven Academy to deal with the recently instituted headmaster, Leonardo Lionheart. It wasn't going to be too long until word reached Atlas about the previous day's bombing and it wasn't going to be long until she was declared to be dead.

After all, no one except her survived it and her DNA would show up in the samples of the other half-cremated council members that had been with her. Cristal, Emmett, and Willow were going to be devastated when they heard her presumed fate. Cristal and Emmett, likely, more so than Willow but, like it or not, Ashlynn was Willow's twin and her loss would affect her whether or not she wanted it to or would admit it. Jacques would probably give a good show of remorse for her death, but it wouldn't be real in the slightest. The man hated Ashlynn for her efforts to undermine him on the grounds that she believed there was something 'off' about him that she couldn't describe. Even so, realistically speaking, it probably wasn't going to be long before she met that fate for real but, at the same time, she wasn't ready to die.

"The Queen…will see you now…" The man from earlier hissed as he opened the door and shoved Ashlynn through it with much more force than necessary.

On the other side of the room, a terrifyingly pale woman whose red and purple veins were visible on her arms and even her face stared at Ashlynn. Fear jolted her to her core as the woman moved closer to her in a slow, fluid, graceful movement. As she got closer, Ashlynn could tell that her eyes were red and black, and that there was also a black mark in the shape of a diamond at the center of her forehead. Her white hair was elaborately styled with a bun and six offshoots with hanging baubles, and her black robe trailed on the floor. Reaching out towards Ashlynn, she lifted up a piece of her hair and examined it before continuing to do so with the rest of Ashlynn's features. As she slowly and a mite unnecessarily tipped Ashlynn's head back with the tip of her finger at the edge of her chin, the woman turned to face the faunus man and coolly addressed him.

"Tyrion," She said imperiously. "Leave us. Now."

The man bowed, his stinger up. "Of course… my Queen."

He left while the woman's gaze followed him, but the moment he was gone she released her finger from under Ashlynn's chin and allowed her head to come back forward. The woman then sighed in irritation, her eyes glowing a brighter red, before turning back to address Ashlynn.

"Who are you?" She demanded.

Ashlynn hesitated, but decided that she might as well accept her fate. "Ashlynn Cinder Schnee."

The woman's eyes widened in feigned surprise as she heard Ashlynn's surname and pretended that she hadn't orchestrated all of this for the sole purpose of gaining Ashlynn. "A Schnee…" She mused, tapping her foot against the cold floor. "One would think you'd have white hair."

"I've got my mother's hair," Ashlynn responded, feeling slightly uncomfortable. "And so naturally my hair is black – it's just been dyed since I was a girl."

"Well, as I understand it, you are lucky to be alive." The woman said, not wasting any more time on who Ashlynn was. "And you should know that the only reason you're alive is because I ensured that you'd be the only survivor."

"Thank you? Just… why, why would you ensure… how could you…"

"Irrelevant." The woman declared, eyes blazing again. "But I know you are capable of handling extreme power." Assessing her, briefly, once again, the woman continued. "How old are you?"

"Thirty-one." Ashlynn answered truthfully. "Why –"

"I need you to obtain the power of a very particular young woman…" She said, turning away from her for a moment and glancing into the mirror. "But first, tell me, do you know the Story of The Seasons?"

Ashlynn raised an eyebrow. "Of course I do, but why -"

"You owe me your life, Ashlynn. Therefore, you will do whatever it is I ask of you from this day forward." The woman grasped Ashlynn suddenly by her tattered blouse. "And god help you if you stray."

Seeing no way out of this, Ashlynn nodded in assent. She had two choices: suicide or do this woman's bidding and, having such a high instinct for self-preservation, Ashlynn chose the woman's bidding. "What do you need of me?"

The woman laughed mirthlessly. "Many things, but the first is that you need a new name. No one can know who you are. As far as the world is concerned, Ashlynn Schnee tragically lost her life en route to Haven Academy alongside colleagues. So… what shall you call yourself? What is the name I shall call you?"

Ashlynn let her thoughts fall through. She didn't want to lose herself, but at the same time she couldn't get out of this. Whether or not she was happy about it, Ashlynn had a new life.

It's a chance to reinvent yourself, she decided. A chance to be whoever the hell it is you are now while not totally changing yourself.

"Speak." The woman commanded her, before glaring at her. "Well if you need a push, I am Salem. I control the creatures of grimm, and I am Remnant's queen…even if the kingdoms don't know it."

"I am… Cinder Fall." She told her, taking her middle name and one of the seasons to form an amalgamation. "Yes, I am Cinder Fall."

Salem gave a curt nod of approval before responding. "Cinder… these next few years are not going to be easy for you. I am going to freeze your aging until you are capable of taking the powers of the Fall Maiden and manage to do so. I am going to perfect your semblance and alter it. As I said, I am going to teach you how to steal the powers of the maidens so that you can take on the title of Fall Maiden. And, above all, I am going to teach you how to fight. You don't look like much of a fighter now, but I can assure you that once I'm done with you that you will be. Now, as a former Schnee, what do you know about Dust and Dust trade?"

Cinder-Ashlynn sighed and when she spoke, her life was no longer that of Ashlynn Schnee. She was no longer Ashlynn Schnee. She was Cinder Fall.

"Let me tell you something about that..." She said, laughing a bit nervously as her eyes sparkled in a way no one had ever thought possible.

* * *

The first sight that confronted the search party was a group of three teenagers that looked scared out of their wits. They were unarmed, and their clothes were torn, their hair amuck, and one of them seemed to have a broken leg. The police immediately took the three of them away, although the boy with the broken leg was flown by helicopter to the nearest hospital. It was a warm night, and the day had been almost blisteringly hot. The Atlesian capital was far enough south, after all, to face the worst of all four seasons. It was possible that the three teenagers had been out there for days and there were many questions to be raised about it. Almost more concerning, however, was the sight of a blonde woman, no older than twenty-six, with a questionable walking stick that seemed to have been cut off a tree although it was a mystery as to what could have done it.

She had a knife in the inner pocket of her jacket, and her scroll was in her free hand. Odder still was that her hair seemed perfectly styled and had a rather expensive looking ornament in it. Her clothes, however dirtied, were clearly of designer origin but the tattered black cloak she had over it was certainly not. She stared at the cars as they pulled up alongside the police, but she stared the most at the sleek, black Mercedes-Benz and even more so at the man who stepped out of it. He was a thin man of about thirty with greying black hair and a thin mustache. His suit was perfectly pressed, and, despite the situation, the police were not surprised by the resemblance between him and the woman. They were siblings, after all.

"Miss Gelè," The leading officer said, slowly stepping towards her. "If you will, please come with us. You must have been through quite the ordeal and –"

"Oh, there's no need," She said, smirking as her scroll went off again, playing a disturbingly ominous sound. "No need at all."

The officer reached to grab her, but she was quicker and beat him down with her walking stick before doing the same to several others. In the chaos, a few went back to their cars to call for help.

"Cosette!" Jacques stepped towards his sister cautiously. "Put that down and come now. You need to get home."

"Just give me a minute!" She whined while her scroll went off again. "I just need to end each one of their wretched little –"

She was cut off by a tranquillizer dart hitting her in the shoulder. The officer who shot it looked almost as surprised as the rest of them and then shook his head.

"Alright, she's lost all subtlety at this point," He said, and the suddenly woozy Cosette Gelè dizzily was guided into her brother's car with an officer in the back in the event she needed to be subdued. "Do pardon me for asking but is she crazy?"

"That may be an understatement," Jacques said, eyeing his sister critically. "She and I had…very different responses to the…abuse we faced by our parents as children and, it seems, her hallucinations may have begun to manifest in a way that causes her to feel immediately threatened."

The officer sighed. "That's…regrettable. Is this the first time an episode like this has happened."

He nodded shortly. "Based on the records, at least."

"What the hell was she doing with those berries, though?" The officer said, mostly to himself. "And threatening the squirrels…they're harmless and –"

"When we get back, I want pudding and a viewing of Wheel of Fortune," Cosette yelled.

"Let me just take that…" The officer in the back of the car with her said, taking the knife from her while she pouted.

"We should get out of here before the storm sets in," Jacques said, scowling at the ominous clouds. "I would rather not be soaked."

"Of course, Mister Schnee," The officer said. "We just need to take her fingerprints and a mugshot so that if she gets into trouble again that it can be dealt with."

"Yes, that's reasonable," He replied.

But nothing he could have done could have masked his irritation.

* * *

"I'm sorry about this," Ozpin said, stepping around his desk and leaning lightly against his cane. "But we had to push this meeting back because of Team STRQ's mission. I know Raven isn't here, but we can't push this back any further."

Qrow snorted. "Because Raven is known for giving a damn about anything."

Tai sent him a reproachful look. "Qrow –"

"Can we at last try to do something with a purpose?" Summer Rose scowled at all of them. "All things considered, we have to –"

"I'd like to enquire as to why they're here, though," LCDR Ciel said, looking rather disdainfully at the three members of Team STRQ. "I sincerely doubt they're qualified."

Qrow crossed his arms. "Oh, and you somehow are?"

"I'm sorry, but you all lack discipline and control," She said, her voice clipped. "Not to mention that I am doubtful the three…or, I suppose, four of you, could pass the certifications for a security clearance."

"Then why's she qualified?" Qrow jabbed a finger towards Glynda, who tightened her hand around her crop. "Or…" He turned on Cristal. "Her."

Emmeline inclined her head towards Ozpin, who sighed.

"Glynda is more than qualified as a huntress and she has a sharp mind as well as a willingness to become invested in this, even at personal cost," He finally said. "Cristal, for one, already knows of everything in part because she's my fiancé –"

"You're marrying that?" Qrow said, then shaking his head. "Well, at least it ain't me."

Cristal sent him a dark look. "For your safety, you should hope so."

"There's no need to throw threats around," Summer said, sounding a bit worried. "We're all on the same side, after all."

"Regardless, we have to –" Ozpin stopped short upon the headmistress of Shade Academy stepping out of the elevator. "Rosalinde," He said, regaining his composure. "I wasn't sure if you would make it."

She smiled. "Well, I think I can leave the teams to handle themselves for a few days and come back and find them all still alive. Besides, the other professors can stop them from killing each other."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "That's a lovely thought," She eventually said.

"I heard about the…incident with your sister," Rosalinde Varna said, looking to Cristal. "I was sorry to hear it. Is it possible she's alive?"

"That's to be determined," She said shortly. "There's not a lot of evidence either way."

"She could have orchestrated this," Glynda gently reminded her. "I certainly wouldn't put it past her. Ashlynn has been known for years to seek ways to evade scrutiny and have money to burn and she may very well have found it."

"I wouldn't be shocked," Cristal said tonelessly. "It may very well be for the best."

Ozpin looked to her worriedly and wrapped an arm tightly around her. "Are you going to be alright, Chrissy?"

Varna's eyes narrowed. "Chrissy…" She said under her breath.

"Well, Ashlynn is being looked for by the Council," Emmeline said, starting to pace. "But we cannot make a judgement right now."

"Agreed," Glynda said shortly. "There isn't much to be done."

Varna scoffed. "Can't Atlas just send people after her? I thought the world's strongest –"

"Don't start," Emmeline said sharply. "We have enough to worry about without you intervening in Atlas' affairs."

Varna narrowed her eyes. "You're not growing on me, Ciel."

"And this is not productive," She said, sharing an exasperated look with Glynda. "If you want to be useful, perhaps put Qrow in his place."

The man glowered, but Varna, in a fit of passion, slammed him against the wall with her magic.


	11. A Wrinkle In Their Plans

_**August 11th**_

_**Outskirts Of Mistral**_

_**11:32 PM**_

A new data point appeared on Emmett's scroll, and he sighed as he officially altered the status of the hunter in question to dead. This was almost a sinister pattern. He had been here for nearly two weeks, and this was what was becoming normal. Having pulled some strings with the council, Jacques had managed to get Emmett out of his hair for a while and, despite him knowing full well that that was exactly what this mission was, Emmett was trying to retain some fleeting hope. He wasn't complaining in spite of having every reason to be, as Mistral was the last place his sister had been known to be located. Choosing to view the mission as a chance to not only scout the kingdom, which was the official reason he was there to begin with, but as one to find his sister, Emmett continued to stake out the hardest to reach places, the ones where people only wanted to be at if they wanted to die, disappear, or, in some cases, both. The wind blew cooly at the top of the mountain as he continued to lock in his coordinates to the system while he pulled his coat in tighter.

Even as someone who was born and raised in Atlas where the temperatures only broke the eighties in the peak of summer, and the temperatures were regularly below freezing in the winter, this was unpleasant. Still, he kept pushing. He had to. This could be the day he finally found his sister. But, as it had been the last several times he had gone looking for her, it appeared that the search was in vain. Emmett had no choice to leave the mountain top and return to the village of Kuroyuri where he was staying. It was a small town that was traditionally Mistrali, and it was also in a convenient location for him. Entering the bar and feeling disenchanted, Emmett ordered himself some whiskey and tried to think. Of all the places his sister could be on the continent of Anima, Haven Academy would be inconspicuous as would be the capital. That left areas like this: harder to get to, limited resources, etc, etc.

No wonder people don't really come out here, Emmett took down a shot. It doesn't seem to be very well protected and it's hard to get to.

Midnight rolled around and eventually turned into one. One turned to two and two to three. By the time it was five in the morning, Emmett was wandering through the village and the alcohol was almost certainly out of his system. His head was hurting slightly from the slight hangover he knew he must be beginning to have. Sighing heavily as he crossed his arms, he wandered around for a little bit in an attempt to clear his mind. The last several days had been a mess enough, and, as much as a part of him wanted to deny it, he just wanted to head back to Atlas. Sighing as he was just about to walk back to the town's small inn, he noticed a dark-haired woman in a mask turned the corner. Her clothes were slightly revealing and tight but, had she been fully covered she would have blended into the night. A small dog approached her, evidently startling her, and when she attacked it in surprise, her clothes lit up.

_Dust_, Emmett thought as he continued to observe. _I'd recognize it anywhere, in any form. It's been embedded into clothing since probably mankind start to use it. It's an age-old technique, as James would put it._

As this mysterious woman slipped into the inn, Emmett followed her. He waited on the side of the building with his hand on his sword while waiting for her to come out. When she did, she was in a revealing red dress with gold trim and dark heels - no mask - and the short length of her hair was more obvious. He observed her for several minutes as she began to move his way, but he almost fainted when she got closer enough that her features were definitive. Despite her hair being an ashy black, her eyes were a solid amber and her face looked exactly like his sister's had. Quickly, he pulled out his scroll and photographed her from a distance - zooming in on her face in several of them. She didn't notice him, but he couldn't help but have a lingering feeling that she was here because of him. He was the only official huntsman in the village and he was certainly the only Atlesian huntsman in it. Heart knocking at his ribs, Emmett put his scroll back in his pocket and, hand on his sword as a precaution, made his way towards her.

"Uh…excuse me, miss? Who are you?" Emmett's eyes widened further when she turned around and her own did the same.

"No one of consequence. However, I suggest you leave. I don't want to have to hurt you." That familiar voice spoke, and Emmett moved just a little closer.

"Please, are you –"

The woman's eyes flashed, and she threw a warning attack his way, knowing that he'd be able to deflect it with his sword. "Emmett, leave me alone, I can't –" Her eyes went wide in fear as she realized that she may have revealed that she knew who he was and subsequently her own former identity. Attempting to brush it off, she laughed with a hint of deviousness behind it. "I mean...kid get out of here. I will hurt you if that's what is necessary to get you off of my back."

"Wait –" Emmett protested as the woman created a cloud of smoke with Dust and disappeared.

Was that who I think it was? Emmett glanced back at his scroll to check how much longer he'd be required to be in Mistral before returning to Atlas. Damn it, I've got over a month left here. Still… if that's my sister then maybe I'll be able to track her back down again. After all, I do have proof she's alive… and the voice was hers...

* * *

**_August 18th_**

**_Location: Uncharted_**

**_9:23 PM_**

_No, no, no._

Cinder paced in her small room in Salem's palace. Her training for the day had finished and, though the Queen was not impressed, she was not disappointed either. That, in and of itself, was a relief. For as much as Cinder wanted to impress Salem with her abilities, with her knowledge, with her resilience, she knew that it was not easy to impress the Queen and that avoiding disappointment was the goal. Having dealt with a similar threat from her own mother for several years, she knew the basics of how to manage someone like that. But Salem was much more powerful, and much more dangerous than her mother. She knew full well that unleashing Salem's wrath as a result of incompetence was not something she wanted to experience firsthand, especially after what she saw happened to Watts two weeks prior when he failed Salem.

She had heard about Watts before. He was once an Atlesian scientist but had become disgraced as a result of his personal life and the revelation of his goals to help a splinter faction of one of Atlas's major political groups to usurp the council and turn the kingdom into a military dictatorship. The systems of checks and balances between Atlas Academy, the Council itself, and the Atlesian military were strengthened and built on for that reason and many people were now in prison for it. General Ciel might be involved with many of the council's decisions, but the Council was the reason she took the place of her predecessor. All high-level military appointments after the resignation or death of the predecessor are required to be reviewed and approved by the entire council. The council also has the right to strip these leaders of their rank, which was what happened to Ciel's predecessor, Jansen, after she was involved in the fall of Mountain Glenn to grimm. Jansen chose not to respond. Of course, Ciel was not the only high ranking general. General Rena Tanner, for one, had another position as the current head of Atlas Academy and that had also needed the full approval of the council – not at all an easy feat with a council of six hundred from various parts of Solitas.

With regard to Ciel, she was known for her pushes towards security and lowering the threat of grimm, but she was also known for her charm. Born and raised in various parts of the kingdom, General Ciel had been raised as an only child in a military family. She joined the military the day she graduated the academy and, now aged thirty-seven, she was one of the youngest people to ever be appointed to her current status. Council member. General. Therefore, Ciel would have to go sooner or later. Salem had lamented about the threat that, admittedly, the kingdom of Atlas posed to her plans and she declared, that within the next ten or so years, a plot to assassinate Ciel would need to be put in place. Cinder would be the one to carry it out. The former Schnee was fully aware that the only reason she would need to kill Ciel would be to prove to Salem that she held no residual loyalty to her kingdom. Regardless, she was not by any stretch of the imagination thrilled about it. Murder was the last thing she wanted to partake in at the moment. The only upside was that it was going to be more than just a few years before this would need to be carried out. Having her age frozen was beneficial for one reason: it bought her time in so many ways.

In other ways, it was going to be a curse. Emmett, for example.

_He knows it was me that night in Kuroyuri, doesn't he? He recognized me and I gave it away by addressing him. How could I be so naive? If this falls through because of me, she's going to make me pay._

Angrily, Cinder shattered and then levitated the glass of her mirror.

"So, I see that you are improving." Salem stood in the doorway with her arms relaxed at her side. As she came in, Cinder shook as she forced the glass back into the mirror. "Yes, this is certainly better than it has been, though a bit sloppy."

"I'm sorry." Breathing shallowly, she forced herself to stop shaking. "I'll do better."

Salem laughed sarcastically. "I know that you'll do better. You know better than to fail. For now, however, this is acceptable. You've improved and it's because of me." Swiftly, she drifted towards Cinder and ran her cool fingers down the thirty-one-year old's arm. As they reached a slight burn from the night Cinder encountered Emmett, she stopped, let her fingers hover over the spot, took Cinder harshly by the wrist, and looked at her apprentice with a critical eye. "Care to explain how this happened, Cinder?"

Eyes widening in fear, Cinder glanced at the spot. "A slight malfunction while using Dust in Kuroyuri the day you sent me to observe it. It's a new village, yes?"

Salem hesitated, but nodded. "Yes, it is a new village. But why would you need to use Dust?"

"To create a diversion to escape a huntsman," Cinder answered truthfully, fearful that Salem would know that the huntsman was her brother.

Salem pursed her lips. "Was this… huntsman familiar to you?"

"He… appeared Atlesian. I didn't get too good a look at his face…" A lie, and she knew it.

Salem narrowed her eyes in recognition of that fact but released her grip on the young woman.

"We will discuss this matter further…" She finally said. "But not now. For now, rest."

Leaving with as much grace as she had arrived with, Salem slammed the door behind her after giving her command and Cinder collapsed backwards onto her bed in fear of what may be in store for her later. After all, the Queen was not an easy master to please. She may have patience, but only for some things. And insubordination of any sort was not something she let slide. Ever.

* * *

**_August 20th_**

**_Government Offices of the Atlesian Council_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:23 AM_**

"Dr. Merlot, you have been brought before this council today to give your public statements regarding the destruction of Mountain Glenn, which you are suspected to be largely responsible for."

The senate was tense and, unusually, quiet. All eyes were on Merlot, and he seemed awfully smug for someone brought before the Atlesian Council as a pretense for the trial they all knew would follow. After all, they were more than aware of the situation. The information that had been gathered was disturbing on its own, and it was damning. The public statements were a show, and Merlot was no fool. He knew exactly what the Council was trying to get him to do, and he did not care. They had intercepted him as he had been making his escape, but he was not going to let them twist his story and tell it in the way they desired. They wanted to make him out to be a villain, and he was sure they wanted to make an example of him.

The Atlesian Council seemed to enjoy making an example of politicians or powerful men and women that abused their power.

Merlot knew full well that he had overstepped whatever boundaries had been placed upon him from the start. He also knew that he had the blood of an entire city on his hands. They viewed him as stupid, but he was not. He hailed himself as the greatest mind of their times and he was convinced that he could have developed a power formidable to even Atlas if he had more time. It was no wonder he found it obnoxious to be restrained in the center of the room with several police officers standing on either side of him. He could not escape, that much was certain. Even more of a nuisance to him, though, were the withering gazes of the senators as they silently made the last preparations for their questions against him. He could already hear the rebukes they were read to yell at him, but he was not sure who would snap first. He cared not how the proceeding would begin, but he did care for how it would end. It would be on his terms, or there would be trouble.

Several young aides looked increasingly nervous as the clocks ticked forward. Merlot could not imagine why. He was effectively powerless, and they were not high-profile enough to be targeted in attacks. He smiled to himself as he thought of the plan that his associates had shared with him, the ones that had been in close connection with Sienna Kahn who had become fed up over the last decade with the leadership of Menagerie. Merlot knew that she was angry because she did not believe they would ever act, and he found it almost admirable that she was spirited enough to be willing to kill for it. It was the same spirit that had possessed him in his experiments with the grimm of Mountain Glenn, although even he was at a loss for why they were such enigmas. He took great pride in the discomfort he knew he was causing, and he focused his thoughts on the little he knew of Kahn and her separatists. They would rejoin the rest of them eventually, but he knew it would to gain power.

Everything, after all, was about power and there was simply no way to evade that fact.

Pens clicked, and pencils anxiously scrapped at the papers in the room creating a tense rhythm. Merlot found it annoying, to a point, but he was also amazed by the ignorance of the Atlesian leadership. He had half-expected to be publicly condemned by Edward Ciel himself, but that had not happened. Merlot snorted at the thought. If there was one thing he was sure of regarding the Atlesian president, the man was a coward. Ciel had been in power for little over a year, now, and while his family had always been involved in politics they had never been as powerful as they had become until he secured the presidency. Merlot was not about to deny how popular the man was, but he believed it was only because they remained in peace time. Ciel was charming enough, but he was deeply paranoid and Merlot was sure that if the peace were to break that things would fall apart. He could lead a time of peace, but if war were about to descend upon them it would not be able to be held. It was a relief to them all that the only seeming threat seemed to be separatists of the White Fang, if only because the generally held belief was that they would never be able to assault Atlas or its allies.

Merlot hoped that the plans about to come to fruition would prove them all to be as wrong as he knew they were.

"Your opening statement?" A senator pressed. Merlot did not recognize him.

"Oh, yes," The scientist said, eerily calm considering the circumstances. "My apologies. I do not wish to hold up this senate, which, I'm sure has quite a bit to do given the circumstances."

Murmurs began to ripple throughout the room, and it certainly did not reflect well on Merlot.

"Continuing on," Another senator said but this time Merlot knew who he was. Ronnie Jacob Ciel: the president's own son.

"I see that 2001 has been changing things…" Merlot murmured. "Sixty years or so since –"

"Dr. Merlot, please do not equivocate," Ronnie said shortly, and several others around him nodded while the man only scowled up at them.

"I hate Atlas," He swore under his breath and then smiled at them sinisterly. He looked up and raised his voice so the upper chamber of the legislature could hear him. "I am the mastermind behind Mountain Glenn. I already know I am going to jail, so I will be frank. I am higher than anyone else in this room will ever be, and I have knowledge of things your dim minds couldn't possibly imagine. You all try to halt my dreams: you fools that we place in power."

"Are you attempting to have contempt here as well as in court?" Senator Jennifer Davis raised an eyebrow and removed her glasses, folding them primly in front of her.

"I don't care for what you want to charge me with," Merlot snippily replied. "All things considered, you will prosecute me regardless of what I say. You will bend your own laws to put an old man behind bars for seeking the truth. That is despicable."

"Your so-called truth seeking has cost the lives of thousands of people!" Jennifer Davis stared at him incredulously and her eyes were narrow in anger. "And you ought to know that number is still rising!"

Merlot considered that. "I was successful, nonetheless."

"Successful in what, pray tell?" Ronnie Ciel asked, disdain evident in his voice.

"In my work with the grimm," Merlot said simply.

"That's not a response to the question," Another senator said sharply. "Please respond."

"I did," Merlot told them. "You all are simply too blind to see it."

Murmurs rose once more, and, this time, they were of nothing short of irritation.

"Do you really have no care for the lives you've taken in this?" Jennifer Davis finally said, struggling to keep her tone clipped.

"I do care, but they were useful to me," Merlot said, perfectly even. "You fools, you fools that have been placed in power are the ones who are ignorant because you are trying to halt the natural order. I sincerely hope you know that when the day comes you all pay for it. Whether it's twenty years from now or longer."


	12. The Cause of Sorrow

**_August 27th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:32 PM_**

"Are you okay?" Emmeline asked, watching Emmett distractedly swirl his wine with his finger. "I really don't think you're doing what you think you're doing."

He paused and grimaced in realization. "I'm becoming Qrow."

"Heaven forbid," Emmeline said dryly. "But, honestly, you seem out of sorts."

"In part, I'm sick of Argus and I'm just relieved to be back home," Emmett hesitated but then shook his head. "Did Spencer say something? If it has anything to do with work, tell anyone who's asking that if they want to pander to twenty some odd year old teachers that they should put pool tables in the teachers' lounge and give us the right to slap one parent each year."

Emmeline laughed for a moment. "No, nothing like that. Honestly, it wasn't anything other than noting that he's still shocked that Cristal and Ozpin had a quiet wedding that was witnessed only by the Ironwoods," Emmeline gently rested her hand over his. "All things considered, I wasn't surprised. She's got enough on her mind without the anxiety of being the focus of everyone's attention."

"I was surprised that Jacques said anything about it," Emmett said, pushing his drink aside. "I thought he and Willow were consumed by making it seem like his sister isn't off her rocker."

"She is a bit odd," Emmeline agreed. "I still don't know what she was doing in the woods."

"I'm not sure I want to know," Emmett said, absentmindedly pushing up his glasses. "She's always been sketchy, and I'm pretty sure she's from the subsect of people that don't pay their taxes."

Emmeline snorted. "Does anyone in that family pay their taxes is the real question."

"I notarized some documents for Willow," Emmett told her. "They do in fact pay all of their taxes, but I suppose it doesn't matter to them since they have money to burn."

"More money than common sense," Emmeline muttered. "My own family seems to do that too, particularly when it comes to Ronnie."

Emmett managed a weak smile. "Is he still convinced that he's better than everyone else?"

"He's convinced that he's going to rise to high enough renown to make a viable bid for president," Emmeline said irritably. "He wants to be a stronger version of our father, who I think is more concerned with having his job than doing it. The sad thing is that it's true enough for a lot of people to agree with me..."

Emmett sighed. "I can see it."

Emmeline eyed for a moment in concern but then squeezed his hand. "Alright, Emmett," She said. "What's bothering you?"

He went silent and then reached for his scroll.

"I have evidence Ashlynn is alive," He eventually said. "I saw her while I was out of town."

Emmeline took in a sharp breath. "That's…unbelievable, to say the least."

"I know," Emmett said, tiredly running a hand through his hair. "And I honestly don't know what to say, other than that I'm worried and don't know what to really do."

"You don't have to," She said gently. "But are you going to be okay?"

"I don't know," He said weakly. "I just don't."

Emmeline was silent for a long moment but then came over to his side and wrapped an arm lovingly around him.

"Is there anything I can do?" She murmured.

He buried his face in his hands.

"I just don't know what I'm supposed to do anymore," He mumbled. "It seems like everything is going to keep getting worse, and…"

She was quiet and gently squeezed his shoulder.

"I'll be here for you," She finally said. "If you need it, okay?"

He nodded weakly. "I…" He said quietly. "I love you."

She smiled despite everything. "I love you too."

* * *

The Vacuoian Prime Minister was a withered man, yet he was only in his fifties. No one was certain what ailed him but, whatever it was, it was serious. He was confined to his wheelchair, and the only part of him that had been unaffected was his mind. He had held his position for about ten years, now, and was viewed by some as a minor god. The people of Vacuo had nearly unyielding support for him, and his close association with Shade Academy made him all the more popular. They saw him as a symbol of the strength they valued so much in the kingdom, and as the opposition to everything they despised about the modern Atlas and even Vale. He held Atlas in contempt for the Schnee Dust Company's vested interest in the kingdom of Vacuo, and he had no love for their leadership. He loved his position, he loved the seeming veneration he got from his people, and he loved that he could do what he wished without fear of consequence. Many had been silenced on his orders for being too bold and he prided himself on his boldness. He, like some of his people, saw himself as a minor god.

Ronnie Ciel saw him as someone that could be useful to Atlas.

Oh, he knew to some that his actions could, should they ever come to light, be viewed as paranoid and desperate but he cared not. The increasing instability that had been mounting since the year prior was something that nauseated the Atlesian people. It nauseated him as well, especially since he was aware of the threats the Kahn woman had made against his father. He would do what it took to put Atlas in a better position for the coming year and that meant bending the law. He was meticulous, and he was confident he would not be caught. It was that air of arrogance that he always carried that was with him when he entered the Vacuoian Prime Minister's personal study. The man dismissed his guards, something which shocked the senator, and he stared at Ronnie squarely. He was not afraid, and his dark eyes were cold. Ronnie straightened himself out and crossed his arms, refusing to be intimidated. He was a senator from Atlas, the last superpower and the only superpower that was democratic and able to defend itself. There was nothing for him to fear.

"Some would say I should be honored by a personal meeting with an Atlesian senator," The withered prime minister said in his increasingly gravelly voice. "Especially one like you."

"And some would say I should be honored by a personal meeting with a man of your renown," Ronnie evenly replied. "But I do not believe either of us view this as an honor."

"This is business," He said shortly. "So, Senator Ciel, what do you want?"

Ronnie stepped towards him and set the file he had been carrying. "Look through that," He told him. "I am showing you only the copies of what we obtained in Atlas, and I really don't think you want the information contained to be made public, now do you?"

He took in a sharp breath. "How did you obtain these?"

"That is none of your concern," Ronnie said, taking the file back. "But if you wish for this information to remain silent, then you will have to pay the price for it."

"I will not give you money," He said with finality.

"I did not expect such," Ronnie said, a sinister smile creeping onto his lips. "But if my contemporaries or myself make requests of you regarding Vacuo's policy, you will comply. If not…"

His hands shook and he glowered at Ronnie. "You are bribing me with the threat of blackmail."

"Exactly," Ronnie said smugly. "Do we understand each other?"

"More than I think you would care to admit," He snapped. "If you think that you are better than I am, then you are sorely mistaken. You are acting in a manner that could cost you –"

"It will cost me nothing," Ronnie told him. "You are the one who stands to lose everything."

"Your kingdom is treading a dangerous line," He angrily said.

"And you are overstepping," Ronnie replied.

He snorted. "As are you. You are no different."

"I do not kill," Ronnie said, struggling to maintain his even composure. "And it is well documented that you do. So, if I were you, I'd stop throwing around empty threats."

* * *

**_September 3rd_**

**_Location: Uncharted_**

**_11:34 PM_**

Another harsh blow reached Cinder's face. Blood started to ebb out of her cheek as Salem continued to punish her for another failed attempt at altering her semblance. Her glyphs still retained the Schnee family snowflake, and it was too indicative of her lineage for comfort. The lineage that meant so much in Atlas and in the rest of the world, the lineage that - if known - could be her undoing. She shook as she closed her eyes shut and tried not to focus on everything that was happening to her - a technique she had begun to rely on terribly early in life as a result of her mother's treatment of her. As it currently stood with her glyphs apart from the crest, the color had started to shift more towards the orange of her aura, but it still was more white than orange. Cinder knew that her aura was depleted - otherwise she would be unable to bleed. Relenting as the young woman fell to the floor, Salem clicked her heels in irritation as she glared at Cinder who was lying down with ruddy cheeks and blood flowing steadily out of one.

"Get up." Salem demanded, her patience had run thin. "Your semblance should not have much resemblance to that of any member of your 'family' at this point except in that you produce glyphs."

"I –" Cinder began to get up, but Salem pushed her back down.

"I think you still retain some… ties to your family that you won't let go of. That won't do, Cinder, and you know it. If you come across any of your family members, you must be prepared to fight them if necessary. Do you remember who the enemy is?" Salem smacked her apprentice again when she did not answer. "Well do you?"

"Oz..Ozpin…" Cinder choked out, blood now also dripping from the corner of her mouth. "Mankind. Huntsman and… huntresses."

"Better," Salem bent down and lifted Cinder up off the ground and appraised her appearance with disdain. "Now, let's say you come across your brother one of these days… what was his name again?"

"Em…Emmett," Cinder told her, her voice weak.

Salem shook her head in dismay. "I know you still care about him and your sister, but they are the enemy. Now, listen, I've got my puppet in place at Haven Academy, Leonardo Lionheart, but I need him to stay there. The trouble is, I've noticed a pattern with your…brother. He's persistent and does not give up easily."

"Yes…" Her insides were churning, her voice running dry. "He can be a bit annoying in his…stubbornness sometimes."

"So I've noticed," Salem commented, her voice dry. "I need you to… injure him. Not enough to kill him quite yet - things must be handled delicately in our current situation. He is currently keeping a close watch on our informant, our high-level informant - ordered, as you could imagine, by the Council when he is not teaching."

"You… you want me to hurt him?" Cinder's throat constricted as she forced her eyes to not show any sign of fear.

"I need you to get him out of our hair. The only way to do that with the kingdom of Atlas is to convince the council that what he's doing is too dangerous." Salem finally allowed Cinder to pull herself up off the ground and stand face to face with her. Running her cold, deathly pale fingers up and around the young woman's neck, Salem gave her protege a look lacking in sympathy and filled with promise of another punishment should she fail. "A few more weeks of training and then I will set the pieces. By the end of September, we will have no more concerns about… meddling by the kingdom of Atlas. For now."

Salem turned swiftly and almost silently as she left Cinder to be alone. Oh, she knew that the thirty-one year old that she had frozen in age would be a difficult apprentice but a powerful one. Cinder was capable and had not only the potential but the raw promise. She was becoming easier to manipulate and warp to her will and pitting her against her brother was one final push in that direction.

They could form what armies they would, but they would not win against her. She still was the Queen, even after all this time.

* * *

**_September 11th_**

**_City of Mancaster_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:12 AM_**

The city of Mancaster was in chaos as soon as the bombs went off and a transport crashed into one of the skyscrapers and another slammed into the one beside it. The buildings began to collapse in clouds of dust and ash, and there were screams, swears, tears, blood, and the smell of smoke hung over the air while a few extremists in masks began to shoot at some of the passerby and the emergency response teams. The dust began to settle but the clouds of ash were making it difficult to see. People were sobbing, coughing up ashes and dust, and the streets were turning red with the blood. The buildings that had collapsed were nothing, nothing but skeletons of rubble. The emergency response teams were struggling to rescue the people nearby and who might still be beneath the rubble and ash. It was horrifying and, for everyone in Atlas, they knew it would haunt the kingdom forever.

It was no better further south in the Atlesian capital. The offices of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action had been attacked as brutally as Mancaster, and the chaos distracted from the real target. President Edward Ciel was in as much horror as his people, and, from one of the balconies, he could see the attack on the DFAMA. The people below were in terror, and he could do nothing but watch in helpless horror. Several members of his personal guard pulled him inside so he would not be in direct danger. What they did not know was that nothing they did would stop it. He felt as if the events were his own fault for not stepping down, and for not having Kahn assassinated the year before for the crimes she was well known for having committed. She never had made an attempt to hide her true colors, and she did not deny her dislike of the way the leadership of Menagerie tried to work with the rest of the world.

He was pacing through the halls when he heard the screams within. Several of his guard were shot down or were slit at the throat. He turned around but, when he did, he found himself face to face with Sienna Kahn once more. He was completely helpless, and the young woman was armed to the teeth. She stepped towards him deliberately, and he kept backing up until he was able to grab a sword from one of the suits of armor that was standing nearby. He tried, weakly to parry her bladed attacks and he managed to evade her swipes at him for a few minutes. He was growing increasingly on edge, knowing that he could not hold back against her forever. She was much stronger, better trained, and he feared it would be too late when the reinforcements of the national guard would arrive. It was only a few minutes before he found himself on the floor, breathing heavily, and struggling to get up. She stepped towards him with her gun drawn and shook her head.

"I did warn you," She said, her voice almost rueful. "I told you that if you didn't resign that it would come to this. You are a coward, Edward Ciel, and you will die with the blood of your people on your hands."

"No," He choked out. "You are the one causing this needless bloodshed."

"I am?" She laughed. "You're the one inches from death because of your selfish, your –"

He reached for the sword once more and swung weakly at her legs. She let out an angered cry upon being cut on one.

"You all have been asking for this for a long time," She said, firing the gun straight through his heart. He fell over limply in death, and she began to stalk off.

A few uniformed officers of the ACE-ops ran into the scene, but Sienna Kahn disappeared in a cloud of fire dust and escaped. By the time they found Ciel, he was long since gone and the kingdom had a dark cloud hanging over it that would not fade away even after the ashes and dust settled in its two most prominent cities.

* * *

Cristal Schnee anxiously fidgeted with her wedding ring and her anxiety did not abate even when Ozpin wrapped an arm affectionately around her and Glynda pushed a steaming mug of coffee towards her.

"I just don't feel right," She said, her hands shaking while she fixed her glasses and tried to sip her coffee without spilling it into her dark waves and her silver blouse. "Something feels seriously wrong to me and has all morning."

"You may just be exhausted," Glynda said, sighing heavily. "To perfectly honest, I don't know how I've managed to do much more than sleep the last few days."

"You're pregnant, that's reasonable," Cristal chewed at her cheek. "I have no reason to be like this, and I'm being completely irrational –"

"You're not," Ozpin said gently. "It's not as if the firm has been easy on you, with the two cases they've set you on and the one they want you on at the end of the month."

Cristal buried her face in her hands. "I cannot believe I forgot about that…"

"Chrissy, you're going to be fine," Glynda said, eyeing her in concern. "It's a lot for anyone. If you think James is any less stressed than you, you have no idea how much the Council is –"

"The Council can be a pain in the ass sometimes and neither of us even have high clearance yet," Cristal paused to steady her hands. "The sad thing is that I doubt it will be any better when we get there."

"I wouldn't be surprised," Glynda said, tiredly twisting her hair in her hands. "Although, in all honesty, I'm just hoping that my girls will be okay."

"You and James are going to be fine," Cristal told her, nervously sipping her coffee. "Really, I don't doubt the two of you will be fine."

She considered it. "That's a mild comfort."

A heavy silence fell over them for what felt like an eternity.

"I'm a bit annoyed with Rosalinde," Cristal finally said. "No more than Emmeline, all things considered, but that's probably because of what she keeps saying about Ronnie."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Please don't tell me she started dating him."

Cristal snorted. "If he would ever be willing date someone like that, I'm pretty sure he would be beaten down by his own family."

"That's not entirely fair," Glynda paused for a moment but then shook her head. "On the other hand, Ronnie has always been…"

"Sketchy?" Ozpin suggested.

Cristal laughed. "That's an understatement. He's worse than Jacques, and I don't say that lightly."

"I never did think that you hated anyone more than Jacques," Glynda remarked with a faint smirk. "But I suppose now I've been proven wrong."

Cristal shrugged. "Well, regardless –"

She fell silent and stared at her scroll in her horror.

"No." She breathed, and the faint bit of amusement over them vanished in an instant.

Ozpin looked to her in immense concern. "What is it?"

Her hands shook once more and she struggled to keep her voice steady.

"Part of the DFAMA was attacked by a violent separatist faction of the White Fang," She finally read. "As well as downtown Mancaster. President…President Ciel was killed in the direct…the direct attacks."

Glynda paled. "Please tell me that's a sick hoax."

Cristal shook her head and began to sob despite herself.

"How the hell has everything come to do this?" She exclaimed, only marginally soothed by Ozpin holding her close and stroking her hair. "How can we be in such a state that…"

The wind began to whistle for a moment outside and, it seemed, that even the weather wanted to ruin every chance that there ever had been at maintaining perfect peace.


	13. The Flame In The Darkness

_**September 20th**_

_**Haven Academy**_

_**City of Mistral**_

_**Mistral**_

_**9:42 PM**_

Darkness settled over the Mistrali huntsman academy thickly and in earnest. Soon, the only lights that remained were from the buildings on the academy grounds and from the city flickering in the distance. Maintaining his slightly brisk pace while he made way towards Lionheart's office, Emmett could not help but get the sense that things were too calm. In the several meetings he had already had with the man, Emmett had decided that, not only did he not like Leonardo, he didn't trust the man in the slightest. He was fidgety around him and, when asked questions that were directly from the security council, he did not like to answer for them. At first, he had written it off to the man having had experiences with the Atlesian Council that had gone poorly but, as time went on, that postulate made less and less sense.

Emmett hated the situation, especially because he knew he had been so suddenly sent to Mistral because he was a licensed huntsman that worked at Atlas Academy. Since the attacks just over a week prior, the Atlesian military had been mobilized to track down the attackers and people were still being declared missing or dead. The situation was dire and, while he respected that, he wanted to be back in the kingdom with Emmeline. Sighing heavily, his weapon still by his side, Emmett pushed the doors to Haven's main hall open. His eyes widened in shock as he noticed the woman before him: it appeared to be the same woman who he remembered from months before. She was wearing the scooping black top, pants, heels, gloves, and mask that he had remembered.

But her eyes were a deeper amber than he recalled them as being. As she moved closer to him, she brushed her hair back and, for a split second, he thought that she might remove the mask. A sinking feeling began to pool in his stomach as he reached for and drew his sword and all but slammed his glasses further up his face. His shoulder-length white waves seemed to fly out around him with the wind and betrayed his fear. Because of this, the woman kept moving towards him, completely unfazed, until they were standing eye to eye. In her heels, their heights were matched. She reached out towards him and, though he thought she was simply going to lay a hand on his shoulder, slapped him hard across the face before stepping back.

"I'm sorry I have to do this to you…" Her voice shook as she shattered the window across the hall and brought the glass to her side. "It's for the best."

Shards of glass began to fly at him, and Emmett tried to get out of the firing range. As rapidly as possible, he moved behind one of the statues and summoned a time dilation glyph to buy him enough time to tackle her. She screamed in surprise while the glass fell in place to the ground. Her weapon was still attached to her side and he pulled it off and examined it quickly. His eyes widened in surprise upon recognizing it. The color was darker than he had remembered but, despite his sister not being a fighter, he knew that this was her weapon. The Dust cartridges and the designs were in the same place while the shape of the weapon was exactly the same as he had remembered it being. Tossing it aside, Emmett tore the mask off her face, and she screamed once again in, not only shock and anger, but in fear, remorse, and genuine emotional pain.

"Ash!" Emmett looked at his sister, a multitude of emotions running through him with the most dominant one being horror.

Her face contorted with confliction flying through every twitch. "I'm not your sister…not anymore Emmett."

"What do you mean?" Emmett stared at her in confusion.

"I'm Cinder Fall!" She growled, trying to push him off of her. "And I don't need anyone! I'm not sorry that I had to disappear! I'm not sorry to still be alive! And I'm not sorry that I have to do this!"

Cinder screamed as she focused all of her aura into summoning a sword that she, unable to watch, shoved into her brother's side.

Emmett fell over; unconscious, but not dead. Several tears began to fall down Cinder's face as she brushed his hair away from his eyes. The sword lodged in his side slowly dissipated as blood continued to flow evenly out of him. Awkwardly, she hugged him and closed her eyes as she turned to leave. There was no turning back from what she had become. She was slowly turning herself even more into a monster in the name of self-preservation and power. Part of her began to fall to pieces and drift away while this realization made its way through her. As she reached the door, she forced herself to take one look at him as her brother as his eyes fluttered open for the briefest second before shutting again. The next time they met would have no mercy. It couldn't, she knew, if she wanted to live. Even more compelling was the possibility that they would never meet again. Regardless, it was in that moment of her hesitation that he could have sworn that her lips made out the words that were in distinct contradiction to everything she had claimed just minutes before.

_I'm sorry for everything but I have no choice._

* * *

**_September 20th_**

**_Location: Uncharted_**

**_10:19 PM_**

Watching with prime view through a seer, Salem couldn't help but smile as she watched Cinder take her final step towards severing ties and loyalties to her family. Emmett Schnee was incapacitated, for the time being, and her newest pawn was doing exactly what he was supposed to. The man might be a coward, but, at the same time, that benefited her ends. Leonardo was easy to manipulate and alter, though she couldn't deny that she had her doubts that he would be useful forever. Cinder, in contrast was going to be much more useful long term. She already knew Cinder would be useful for a variety of reasons, the least of them being her willingness to do what was necessary. She had already come so far, and any trace of Ashlynn Schnee that had been in her was now snuffed out. It was only the monster that remained, the monster that was willing to be whatever it was she was needed to be for the Queen. The sight of Cinder losing her mask was, admittedly, disconcerting to her. If Emmett remembered her new appearance, then trouble could be brewing for them. Regardless, even if he did remember, what were the odds of the Atlesian council taking him seriously?

That was a thought she quickly set aside, considering the wrinkle Kahn's actions had thrown into her plans. Chances were that they would take any news of more attacks furiously. She swore under her breath when she realized what the fury of the Council would mean for her plans. Sending the seer away with the flick of her wrist, Salem began to make her way around her domain while she let her thoughts turn to her primary target. Ozpin. She had defeated him before, but that was before the gods cursed him to reincarnate until a time in which he could manage to defeat her. He had always been a thorn in her side, and now that he was, in his current form, ascended towards the top of Valerian hierarchy that was especially true. Two of the headmasters were against her while one was relatively indifferent, though by no stretch of the imagination did Rosalinde Varna want to aid Salem in any way. She would fight her if that was what it came down to. That put only one in her grasp, and the only use had was information. This was not necessarily a downside, but Leonardo was a follower above all else. He did whatever it took for him to survive and that was all.

No wonder he agreed to be her pawn.

Ozpin was still her primary concern. The man was relentless and powerful; like her he possessed some degree of magic. Revenge was her primary goal, although that was a bit of a tricky way to describe it. Her hatred for Ozpin was deeply wrought and it was as a result of their conflicting views on humanity.

_Still going at it, Oz?_ Salem couldn't help but let her eyes flash as she continued to think about her antithesis. _Still, after all of these years, do you really think that you'll ever defeat me? No, see I've got something you don't. Willingness, willingness to use any means possible to achieve my goals._

_I'm not even quite sure what they are, but I will achieve the control I have sought since this started because you refused to bend to what was right, what would have been the best. This is where my happiness begins and the world's ends. Even the most brilliant flames must flicker and die. Even the greatest empires fall. Even the strongest warriors will be defeated._

_No one, not even you, is safe. Humanity will burn and you will not be their martyr. I will prove this world wrong. I will prove that even the fires of revolution cannot stand forever. Mankind may be powerful; mankind may be making their way in this dark world. They may have a flame, but I will extinguish it._

_You'll never know that you just can't win, will you Ozpin?_

* * *

**_September 30th_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_9:12 PM_**

Bringing her smaller and younger, albeit only by ten minutes, daughter close to her, Glynda could not help but breathe a sigh of relief. Though both girls were only four days old and had just come home, everything had turned out just fine. Both of her daughters were healthy, and James had been allowed to come back just a day before they had been born. There was nothing wrong with her and he was still right there next to her, tentatively holding their other daughter. Both of the girls were documented, and their information sent to Atlesian records. It was a comfort to her and James that nothing had happened to them. The last few nights had been stressful and, though she and the twins had only been home for two days, it was already immensely clear that raising the two girls was going to be challenging. Even knowing this, Glynda couldn't help but smile as her husband kissed her cheek and they both tried to take in the fact that they were now in fact the parents to two beautiful, healthy girls.

"They both have your eyes," James murmured as he looked over to his wife who looked ready to collapse in exhaustion. "Although I think Ivy looks more like you."

Glynda lightly brushed her fingers over her daughter's forehead. "She does have my hair, at least in color. And Caity does remind me of you. Still...you know I love them both."

"I know," He sighed as Glynda's eyes continued to flutter between closed and shut. "Do you want me to take them both?"

"If you think you can handle it…then, yes." Being as gentle as possible, she handed him Ivy who, like Caitlin, was quietly asleep.

Carefully, he laid the girls down in the crib next the bed while they continued to sleep. Even though they had their own room, James and Glynda had decided that, for now, the girls would sleep in their room with them. She pulled a blanket over herself in exhaustion and slowly fell asleep. An hour passed, and then another as he looked over reports of Dust robberies and shipments. Soon after the reports turned more ominous. People disappearing for no reason and without a trace and then turning up dead, similar to Ashlynn Schnee's presumed fate. It was no surprise that the Valerian council was reaching out to Atlas for help. The darkness that was hanging over Atlas seemed also to be hanging over Vale. It appeared almost as if there was something more happening than the White Fang's shifting methodology. It took yet another two hours to finalize the analysis of the reports, but by then it was ten and neither Glynda nor the girls had woken. He was just about to lay down next to her and fall asleep himself when his scroll went off: a new message from Emmett.

_Hey, I know it's late and shit, but you know what? I wanted to tell the girls happy birthday a little late. September 26th, am I right? Caity and Ivy…the pictures you and Glynda sent were cute, by the way. They're such blessings in such a dark time._

James smiled as he read that but dread began to creep into his mind when yet another message popped up from him that looked much more foreboding.

_Much, much more seriously, and I don't know if you've heard from Emmy or whomever already, by all accounts, I'm lucky to be alive. Attacked in Mistral on the twentieth. The council withdrew me from the kingdom almost immediately. Supposedly I woke up three days later and I know I kept talking about how the woman who attacked me was the same woman that I saw back in Kuroyuri months ago and I know is my sister. And I know it was her because her clothes lit up when she attacked and because she fought with glass…never used her semblance, though. Morell and Emmy are the only people on the council right now who are willing to take anything I say seriously, not that they're quite sure they believe that I was attacked by my sister. I can't blame them. I'm still recovering, and it's almost annoying that I can't even work right now. Supposedly I'm supposed to take the rest of the year off, since term ends in November anyways. The kingdom has fallen into a dark time, and I don't know how to console Emmy…she just lost her father and..._

A third message popped up shortly after the second though it was far shorter and the information was considerably lighter.

_I'm coming down to Vale to visit you guys soon, probably around the seventh of October. Just wanted to give you a heads up, because I'm not going to let this go anytime soon._

Glynda rolled over and, as she pulled herself up, moved closer to him. "Trouble sleeping?"

Shaking his head as he placed down his scroll, he turned to face her. "No, it's not that. I'm fine."

"Of course you are," She said dryly, but her voice softened as she wrapped an arm around him. "Except… if you were actually fine you wouldn't look so concerned. What's wrong?"

Pulling her in, he sighed. "Emmett was attacked while in Mistral. The council pulled him out and he's fine, but he's convinced that it was his sister who attacked him."

"He needs to let go. She's not going to come back even if she's alive." Glynda leaned into him more as she considered all of the other possibilities. "You're also worried about the girls, aren't you?"

"Admittedly, yes." He kissed her softly before letting her curl into his embrace. "How can I not be worried about them? I know they're fine, but –"

"Exactly. They're fine. We all are. This isn't easy, but at the same time things are going to be okay. You and I are going to be okay. Nothing's going to change except that in a year we'll both be working. We'll still be in Vale; we'll all still be fine. I'll still love you. I promise."

"I know. I'll still love you too." James let her fall out of his arms and back onto their bed while he shifted to still face her. "I don't know what I'd do if I lost you."

"You'd find a way to keep going," She murmured. "But it doesn't matter because that isn't going to happen, and it won't happen to the girls either."

"What are you saying?" James asked her, confused as to what that could mean.

"We'll train them. They'll be strong. They'll be able to defend themselves." Sighing, she reached over and took his hand in hers and squeezed it tight. "I wonder what their semblances will be."

"It'll be several years before that, but I can see them taking after us as huntresses." He squeezed her hand back as he kissed her again. "I love you."

She smiled weakly. "I do too."

But the silence of the night spoke volumes and it seemed that everyone was worried of what might happen to the world.


	14. The Reason Things Have To Change

_**October 5th**_

_**International Transport Station**_

_**City of Atlas**_

_**United Kingdom of Atlas**_

_**1:43 PM**_

"Emmy –" Emmett protested as he continued to move towards the transport station's security so he could get to the flight that would take him to Vale.

"No. No, don't fight with me, Emmett, I'm not in the mood." Emmeline Ciel sidestepped him to block his further movements towards the gates. "Listen," She said, taking his hands in hers. "Emmett, I believe you. But tell me: do you honestly believe I can convince Elizabeth to say that in front of the security council without asking her to risk her credibility? Winchester already questions my competence half of the time, and he hates her…" Shaking her head in irritation, she embraced him tightly on impulse and tried to give him a sympathetic look. "Trust me, I've been trying to get my hands on as much information as possible, but -"

"I know things are difficult," He said, biting his lip. "Are you sure you can't come with?"

"You know I would if I could," She said gently. "But I couldn't get leave, not with the way things have been since the…well…"

Emmett hesitated but brushed the tears away from her eyes.

"Emmy," He said, cupping her cheek. "If you want me to stay, I can. I know you're going through a lot, but –"

"I…" She swallowed hard and glanced at her scroll. One new message from Elizabeth. "I'll see you in Vale in a few days, but I have to stay right now. Especially…with my father's funeral being so soon.."

"I'll be there for it," Emmett promised her. "You don't have to do that alone. I know it's going to be hard for all of you."

"I just can't believe that everything…" Emmeline trailed off, struggling with her words and her emotions as they bubbled up and threatened to consume her. "How could something like this happen? And in the way it did, and here in Atlas? How…"

Emmett said nothing and instead pulled her into him tightly while she tried to hide that she was crying. Her hair was down, for once, and he lightly brushed his fingers through it in an attempt to comfort her the little he could. Emmeline's heart was beating against her chest and she felt as if she were about to break down. Since the attacks, something felt like it had changed and everything about her seemed to have been affected. She no longer wanted to eat much of it all, and she had, despite herself, found herself wishing that Emmett was with her at night when she found herself at the mercy of her own nightmares.

"Emmy…" He eventually murmured. "Are you sure you don't want me to stay?"

"I'll…be fine," She said weakly. "And I'll be there in a few days."

He sighed. "Is there anything I can do?"

She hesitated for a moment; her eyes full of tears.

"Emmett," She finally said. "I'm just glad I have you."

He kissed her softly. "If there's anything I can do, please tell me."

"I love you so much…" She said, all but collapsing against him and starting to cry again, hating herself for every tear that fell. "Emmett, I'm so sorry about all of this –"

"Don't apologize…" He whispered. "It's going to be okay."

Emmeline nodded weakly as he let her go and resisted the urge to start sobbing again.

"Emmett," She said, handing him a small flash drive. "I know Oz wants to see you, so make sure he gets this, okay?"

He nodded and affectionately kissed her. "Alright. I'll see you in a few days."

"See you then," She said, staring at her hands as he walked through security and wished that, for once, things wouldn't go to further hell.

Across the security line, Emmett was in awe of everything surrounding him. There were dogs sniffing everyone's luggage and he felt nervous as he lugged his suitcase and computer bag up onto the conveyor for inspection. He removed his scroll and allowed it to be scanned before it was handed back to him but jumped upon being barked at as he stepped forward.

"Shoes and jackets off, sir," An officer said, and he forfeited those too before walking through the metal detectors.

"Clear," Another officer declared, handing him his bags, leather coat, and shoes back.

Emmett found himself distracted as he slipped his loafers back on and he stared at the flashing gate signs for the various destinations. Air travel had only been released from grounding on the eighteenth of September, and there was tension in the air as well as dread.

"Atlesian Airlines Flight 139 to the city of Vale has been delayed by one hour," A cool female voice said over the speakers.

Emmett sighed heavily and lugged his things down the escalator before reaching the gate. It was going to be a long time before things felt anywhere near normal again.

* * *

Bouncing slightly as she held her slowly calming oldest close to her, Glynda couldn't help but hope that things would calm down by the time she started at Beacon. Things were hectic with the girls, although the two of them were, relatively, on the same page. Ivy was calmer and slept more, but the minute Caitlin needed something she started to hyperventilate. Even more so, she constantly wanted to be held which, while Glynda loved having her close to her, was still its own form of stress. As her scroll began to buzz angrily on the counter, she shifted her daughter to her left side and continued to rub her back while she checked her messages. A sigh of relief left her lips upon reading it. James was going to be home in about an hour. It was all she could do to not collapse in both exhaustion and relief while she unplugged her scroll and curled up with one of her girls on the couch.

"Shh...Caity it's okay. Mommy's here, I've got you." Glynda murmured as the girl's breathing began to steady and the girl's eyes shifted back from blue to green again. Soon enough, her eyes closed and she fell asleep in her mother's arms, lessening Glynda's stress considerably.

Reaching over towards her scroll, she tried to move as little as possible to avoid waking up her little girl from her peaceful sleep. The girl continued to sleep while she pulled up mission information on her scroll. Several investigative missions had opened up with new reports. There were multiple that involved the Schnee Dust Company, of course there were, given the situation the company was in of late. Some were about the loss of Dust shipments to splinter groups, but the majority were looking into the greyer and greyer deals and business practices that were starting to show up as a trend. It wasn't shocking. If there were anything, as she had learned from being around Emmett, it was that the minute his father transferred the control of the company into Jacques' hands things changed. Increased violence against the company was a major one.

Turning her scroll off and placing it back down, Glynda sighed as she made her way into her and James' room with their daughter. Managing not to wake her up, she laid the baby girl down next to her sister before falling backwards onto the bed. She laid there for several minutes before forcing herself to get up and shower, albeit quickly. Without even bothering to dry her hair out all the way, Glynda changed into her yoga pants and t-shirt before she started to head back to check on the girls briefly. Breathing a sigh of relief when she realized that neither had woken up and they were perfectly fine, she pulled out a book and crawled into bed as exhaustion washed over her. She was about to fall asleep when she heard the door open; pulling herself out of bed and putting her book aside, she half-threw herself into James' arms. He didn't protest, in the contrary he pulled her closer and ran his fingers through her hair soothingly.

"Are the girls okay?" He asked her gently.

"They're fine," She told him, her tiredness coming into her voice. "Everything's fine."

Laughing slightly, he took her hand as they went into their room. "Everything except for your sleep cycle."

"I'll be alright," She said, embracing him and smiling when he kissed her affectionately. She half-collapsed into him once she broke it, barely able to keep her eyes open or herself upright. More or less falling into bed, her eyes continued to flutter between open and closed as she tried to keep herself awake though it was essentially pointless.

"You really do need to sleep, don't you?" Curling up next to her, James brought her into him while she hummed lightly.

"How could you guess? I thought I was doing a pretty good job at hiding it…" She turned to face him while brushing her hair away from her face.

"I can tell, Glyns I can tell," He kissed her forehead gently. "I know the girls are a handful."

"Like you have no idea…it's okay though," Glynda sighed. "Really, I'm doing okay."

"I'm not doing enough to help you with them though," He looked into her tired green eyes with regret. "I shouldn't be working; the girls are only about a week and half old and need constant attention. I should be here with you."

"Don't worry, this is new for both of us." Glynda sighed and brought herself closer to him. "Not that I'll deny that it would be nice if you were able to help me with them."

"I can –" James began, though she stopped him before he could finish.

"What about your job?" She reminded him, feeling resigned.

"What about yours?" He countered, trying to be reasonable. "You start at Beacon Academy in a year, what are we going to do then?"

"I haven't thought about that… can we just deal with this later?" Her eyes were already starting to close and, trying to comfort and relax her, he pulled her in as close as possible and she quickly fell asleep in his arms. Not too long after, he fell asleep along with her.

* * *

**_October 7th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_6:34 PM_**

Glancing around the grounds of Beacon Academy, Emmett couldn't help but think back to the Vytal Festival. Things had changed so much since then. Everything seemed so much closer to snapping and everything seemed to be teetering towards the edge. Despite being usually fairly relaxed and free-flowing, Emmett knew that he was losing his carefree nature. The last few months, the last year, even, had been a freefall. Concern had overtaken much of his thoughts and seeing how things had only marginally changed around Beacon felt ironic to him given how much had changed in his personal life. Walking past a group, Emmett couldn't help but feel jealous of how happy they seemed. There was a light-haired girl in a funky outfit and she was flicking her hair over her shoulder as she jumped off the elevated ledge on the sides of the avenue. Across from her was a redhead with his arm around another girl in silver and gold.

"Hmmph," A man said, appearing almost out of thin air nearby. "I never thought I'd see you again."

"Qrow," Emmett said shortly.

He crossed his arms. "What are you doing here?"

"Classified," Emmett snapped at him while he began to walk away. "Atlesian governmental business."

"Ah, I see," Qrow said, swearing under his breath. "My bad, I shouldn't ask those things."

Emmett scowled. "Do you have anything to do?"

"Probably," Qrow shrugged with a smirk. "But not any better than this."

Emmett irritably adjusted his glasses. "Well, if –"

"Mister Branwen, what are you doing?" A young man with green hair and a trench coat came up from behind them. "And didn't you graduate? I...I'm befuddled. Now isn't the time to be messing around with people!"

"Oobleck, this –" Qrow started.

"It's Dr. I just got my PhD, and I can assure that I didn't do it for fun! Now, off!" Oobleck declared and Qrow took several steps back before walking off, reaching for his flask and swearing to himself.

As soon as he was gone, Oobleck turned to Emmett.

"I assume you're Emmett Schnee," He said in his quick voice. "The professor from Atlas who said he wanted to speak to Professor Ozpin?"

"Yes…" Emmett responded, feeling a bit flustered by how fast the man spoke.

"Excellent, right this way. Get in the elevator, go up to the top of Beacon tower, and Professor Ozpin will be waiting for you!" Oobleck's speech continued to increase in speed until they made it to the tower and parted ways.

Taking out the flash drive Emmeline had given him, Emmett sighed as he made his way into the elevator, identified himself, and then made his way to the top. The doors opened quickly once he was granted entry permissions, and he was unsurprised to see the man with dark, although slightly greying hair behind the desk. Ozpin was certainly calmer than he had been imagined he would be, but Emmett could not deny his surprise upon seeing his sister. Cristal was standing behind her husband, a hand on his shoulder, and looked exhausted. Emmett had several guesses as to what was bothering his sister. Regardless, Ozpin's calm nature was better than the hectic life he was used to in Atlas. Day after day, hour after hour, passed in a tedious and often times brutal blur. In contrast, Oz was simply sipping what had to be he guessed was coffee while looking at some files on his monitor before closing it down when Emmett reached his desk and set down the flash drive. Cristal smiled and tightly embraced her brother.

"Good to see you're okay," She said, then smacking him lightly upside the head. "But what the hell were you thinking? That whole damn thing in Mistral –"

"I'm fine," Emmett told her, although he winced a bit as he tried to lean on his injured side. "Mostly."

She raised an eyebrow. "Why don't I believe you?"

"Because you tend towards suspicion," He replied. "I have to admit, I'm surprised to see you here."

"I thought it might be good," Ozpin said, delicately handling the flash drive. "All things considered."

Emmett glanced between them nervously. "What do you mean?"

Ozpin sighed and docked the drive, which immediately opened a recording.

"These are the files that I managed to access that suggest, at the very least, a minor connection between Salem and the Schnee case. Emmett has a right to know what's really happening, and I'm sure Chrissy will tell you the exact same thing if you argue. Do this right, Oz."

Emmeline's voice dissipated and Ozpin began to look through the list of files. In contrast to the calm, calculated movements made by him, though, Emmett couldn't help himself but feel more than a bit confused. What could she possibly be keeping from him and what potentially classified information was he supposed to be aware of? Even more so than that, who was Salem and what could she possibly have to do with the investigation? Beginning to pace, Emmett tried to sort out his thoughts but was interrupted by Ozpin asking him another question after the long pause; the last question he had been expecting.

"What's your favorite fairytale, Emmett?" Ozpin asked while leaning on his desk.

He had faith in his wife's judgement, and he trusted Emmett well enough.

"My…my what?" Emmett raised an eyebrow and crossed his arms. The amass of questions he had grew.

Ozpin continued to wait for a response while Cristal eyed her brother sharply and anxiously tapped her fingers against his desk. After a moment, Emmett, feeling like he had been left with no other choice, answered bluntly.

"I don't have a favorite fairytale," He admitted, rubbing his neck. "They're just glorified versions of history and real life that give people unrealistic expectations and hope."

Ozpin glanced to Cristal. "Have you ever heard the Story of The Seasons?"

Another shock. Emmett felt taken aback, particularly when he saw his sister flinch. As a child that had been Willow's least favorite story but Ash's all-time favorite, although that probably had something to do with Ash's deeply wrought belief in destiny.

Emmett chewed at the inside of his cheek. "I'm pretty sure you could ask anyone that and the answer would be yes."

Ozpin sighed and gazed at Emmett with an immensely serious look. "Would you believe me if I told you that it was true?"

"Of course not," Emmett went with the immediate reply but didn't go on when Ozpin shook his head. "Wait…you honestly believe it's true?"

"I know that it is," Ozpin said, sounding a bit rueful as Cristal tightened her hand on his shoulder. "So do Emmeline and Chrissy."

Cristal sent her brother a pointed look. "I was the one who suggested you know."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "You and Emmy wouldn't –"

"These aren't our full-time jobs," She told him while Ozpin continued to look at Emmett in full seriousness. "But we're also part of an inner circle that protects our world and the fragile peace that we have all worked very hard to maintain and, at any rate, I'm sick of keeping secrets from you."

Emmett didn't respond. All he could think about was what kind of things he could imagine Glynda or James saying if they were in his place. His face betrayed his mind as he continued to bite back the sarcastic comments about this that he was seeing his teammates make within his thoughts.

"Say what you're thinking about," Ozpin gently instructed him. "I feel that that can help."

Though hesitant, Emmett told him the truth. "I'm trying to imagine what Glynda would say if she was here."

Cristal smirked. "She already knows too."

Emmett took a step back in shock. "Are you serious?"

Ozpin nodded. "Yes. I told her shortly after I took her on as our combat professor for the next term."

"Really?" Emmett still couldn't believe that Glynda had agreed to take a job that started when her and James's girls would be a little less than a year old. "What about her girls?"

"They're figuring it out," Cristal said, staring at her hands and nervously adjusting her glasses. "And a lot has changed, so, of course…"

Ozpin looked back at his scroll for a moment before sharing a knowing glance with his wife and then, finally, looking back to Emmett. "Will you help us defend our world, defend its peace?"

Emmett hesitated. "Yes," He eventually said. "I'll…I'll do this."

"Sit down," Ozpin told him. "Allow me to explain what you don't know."


	15. Wayward Children

**_October 12th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_4:34 PM_**

"Good Lord, Ronnie," Emmeline swore upon the elevator doors opening and her brother stepping out in a full suit and his scroll in hand. "When I told you to come here, I didn't expect you to actually show up."

He sighed. "It was hard enough to get away from the senate hearings, but I had to. I can't take listening to different bills being proposed on how to solve what happened with –"

"Stop," She said, putting her hand up to silence him. "I'm not in the mood."

Ronnie sighed. "Listen, Emily, I'm –"

"I have to admit, you are a self-righteous bastard," Cristal remarked, scowling at him. "Oh, out of curiosity, what were you doing in Vacuo back in August?"

Ronnie jammed his hands into his pockets. "What do you mean?"

"Yeah, I was wondering about that," Emmett remarked, crossing his arms and pulling himself up onto the edge of Ozpin's desk. "You kind of just went there for no reason."

"It wasn't for no reason," Ronnie tersely replied. "I have my reasons."

"And I'm sure we all want to hear them," Emmeline said dryly.

Ronnie sent Cristal, Emmett, and Ozpin disdainful looks.

"Not in front of them," He told her. "They don't have any clearance for anything."

Emmeline frowned. "That's concerning."

"Oh, come on!" Ronnie exclaimed in sheer irritation. "Shit is bad enough without you being an insufferable –"

"I'm insufferable?" She snapped. "You're the one who thinks that he is above the law!"

"I have never said that!" Ronnie gestured angrily towards the others. "And if we're going to have these people here, can we not have this argument?"

Emmeline narrowed her eyes. "I don't think so, Ronnie. Tell me: what kind of terrible things are you hiding or are you –"

"Emmeline, I have nothing to –" Ronnie started.

"So," Cristal said, pursing her lips. "You do have some secrets you want quiet."

Ronnie clapped sarcastically. "Very good."

"Senator Ciel, really –" Ozpin began calmly.

"Did you realize that I've been secretly embezzling millions from one of my associates?" He suggested, glowering at Cristal who took a step back in surprise. "Or that I –"

"Is that a confession?" Cristal felt her voice rising an octave in shock.

Ronnie looked suddenly awkward. "Absolutely not," He said, cursing his temper.

Ozpin shared a look with his wife, who seemed distinctly unnerved. Gently, he took her hand tightly in his and squeezed it comfortingly.

"You're giving yourself away, again," Emmeline remarked, starting to circle her brother as he did the same to her. "Do you have blood on your hands?"

"No," Ronnie said, crossing his arms. "I may know people who do. Perhaps yourself?"

Emmeline took a step back. "That's a line too far…" She hissed.

"And you've never killed?" He said innocently. "Not even in your work?"

Emmeline took in a sharp breath. "Are you asking for me to –"

"Emmy –" Emmett started, stepping towards her.

Ronnie snorted. "Please don't tell me you're bringing someone like him to dad's state funeral."

Emmeline grabbed Emmett sharply by the arm, startling him.

"You are not going to get a rise out of me, Ronnie," She said, fighting with her voice to even it. "You, however, are –"

"And what do you know?" He finally yelled, snapping. "That I've been bribing the Vacuoian prime minister? That I impersonated a priest? That I've been responsible for money laundering? Or that I know a man responsible for the murder of a maid? That I'm not –"

Cristal clicked off her scroll. "I don't care what you say, Ronnie, I have to –"

He ran at her too fast for her to stop him and he snatched the scroll from her. She shrieked in fear but he snapped it and nothing more.

"You wouldn't," Ronnie growled. "Not so soon after my father's death, would you?"

Cristal was shaking and all but collapsed into Ozpin. He steadied her against himself and sent the man a disdainful look with the others.

"No one else was in the room where it happened," Ronnie said, glowering at all of them as he stormed towards the elevator. He was cursing himself for his temper. "We all have skeletons in the closet, and it is no different for those of us tasked with leading."

"Leading is different from what you are describing," Ozpin warned him, still holding his shaking wife tightly against him. "You are describing selfish motives for your own gain."

The elevator doors slammed shut behind the Senator but the discomfort in the room remained.

"Are you going to come forward?" Cristal finally said, looking worriedly to Emmeline.

She hesitated but then shook her head. "I don't have evidence, and…maybe we should let the country move on."

"Let the country move on?" Cristal sighed. "If only that were possible in seasons such as these."

* * *

**_October 14th_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_11:34 PM_**

Another day of training was finally over, and Cinder couldn't help but collapse into her bed. Everything about her ached, and there was a faint line of dried blood marring her appearance on her cheek. A residue of Salem's wrath from a failure with Dust manipulation. Now that her semblance was permanently altered beyond repair, Salem wanted her to learn to manipulate Dust at high levels. Her glyphs no longer bore the Schnee family snowflake; rather, they bore her personal emblem of two blades that formed a heart in the center of it. The color had changed as well. No longer were her glyphs various shades of blue and white. In contrast, they were various shades of orange. Denying it as much as she could, Cinder swore to herself that she wasn't afraid of anything or anyone. She had inflicted severe damage on her own brother, had altered her semblance beyond recognition and repair, and was training to become one of the most feared and powerful women in all of Remnant.

Despite her talents, however, Salem was still not pleased. She was expecting Cinder to improve at a much faster rate than she had been, after all, and when that didn't happen, she took it out on the young woman physically. It was supposed to punish her as a failure, but it only made her work harder. Cinder suspected that was part of the reason Salem treated her in the way that she did. If she wasn't working at her very best all the time or, more accurately, when she wasn't improving at the rate that the Queen demanded, she got slapped or faced worse physical punishment. Today was just another one of those days. She had been pushed to the breaking point with the usage of Dust and it still wasn't good enough. Cinder couldn't help but think that it would never be good enough considering that she had never been much of a fighter. Her mother had demanded, as she had with Willow, that she learn how to use her semblance to at least the basics.

Her control, before Salem had altered it, therefore, was minimal and while it had improved, she was still just starting to access certain parts of it. Summoning had been the first thing she had learned, followed by simple manipulation. Glass was the one she had chosen to learn first. As of today, she was working on the dilation of time which had gone alright. It didn't please Salem, but it didn't anger her either. Then the Queen demanded that she work with Dust again. There were two things she knew how to do with Dust: create clouds of smoke to disappear in, and the embedment of Dust into clothing. All offensive applications of Dust but, today, it was a shift towards using Dust as a combative aid and she failed. She struggled to manipulate it, and she wasn't good enough. Nothing was ever good enough, not in Salem's eyes.

_Well this is a wonderful way to be spending your birthday._ She thought to herself as she pushed her hair back. _This is what you get for turning thirty-two, not that it matters since your age is frozen._

Even though Salem had been wanting her to sever ties to her family and kingdom, she had allowed the younger woman to keep up with the recent news on the Schnee family and the kingdom of Atlas. Keeping tabs on the enemy, as Salem had put it. Pulling out her scroll, Cinder began to search for the latest Atlesian news and, admittedly, gossip. As she scrolled, she primarily found articles relating to President Ciel's assassination and the solemn swearing in of his vice president, Annabella Sassler, as well as the outcry from the people of Atlas. They seemed more than ready to take up arms against the people who assaulted what they had all taken for granted. They were fools. While Ciel's assassination had not been planned by her or Salem – and certainly not endorsed by either – it was a sharp dose of reality. Even the greatest kingdom was fragile, as all humans were. Cinder growled in anger as she tried to force herself not to feel anything. She herself had begun to loathe her feelings and her humanity. Every time she failed and was punished for it, she felt Salem's brutality as a reminder of how weak she was. It was a reminder she did not want, and it was certainly one she did not need. At the very least, it was very much unwelcome.

Taking a raw crystal of gravity Dust into her hand, Cinder fired it at the wall and bent it to her will - shocking herself. Convinced that it had been a stroke of luck, she threw yet another and managed to bend it to her will. She let a deep sigh of relief escape her lungs as she continued to succeed. Perhaps tomorrow she would be able to impress Salem for once. Determination growing in her, she went again but instead with ice Dust. This was harder for her to control but, by the time she fell asleep, she was doing rather well. She realized who she was as she drifted off, though the thoughts of her former family were still strung in her mind. Deciding that once she was stronger; she would bring people who were cast aside to her aid, she knew that she'd be able to fulfill Salem's plan. It would be well over a decade before she was able to take her rightful place as the Fall Maiden, but that didn't mean that she would have to wait that long to start deciding what kind of people she was going to be looking for to help her on that score. After all, Cinder knew now more than ever that she wanted to be powerful.

But, above all, she wanted to be feared.

* * *

**_October 16th_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_5:32 PM_**

Dean sat with Glynda and James at their kitchen table, a scotch in hand and the other holding his head in exasperation. He hadn't been able to bring himself to leave face any of his teammates since the day he made the final cut to his relationship with Emmett, but now, months later, he had decided to seek counsel from his other two teammates. It should have hurt more to know that it didn't take Emmett too long to move on, but he felt less than he cared to admit. He hadn't believed himself at first. Aside from his loathing of the Ciel family, he was numb. He was angered by the knowledge that they were not in the public eye but he supposed the focus would always be on Senator Ciel and, for now, the assassination of Edward Ciel.

Dean had written off his teammates for good, but now he found himself crawling back. His girlfriend had convinced him, and, after much deliberation, he had relented. He supposed she must be sick of hearing him complain. Ultimately, he had first decided to ask Emmett himself by way of a scroll-delivered message to find out what was going on with his life. He had not taken it well and informed him shortly that he was did not care what was drawing him back and that he had enough on his mind between his work and Emmeline. With a heavy sigh, Dean glanced his surroundings. Every so often one of the girls would need something and either James or Glynda would take care of it, alternating between each other every time this happened.

"I mean, I can't believe that none of you told me a damn thing since I left!" Dean lamented to Glynda while James dealt with the latest needs of the girls. "What the hell, guys? That's not right, and you know it!"

Glynda hesitated as she placed down her coffee. The faintly visible dark circles under her eyes indicated not only her stress, but how tired she was.

"I don't know what to tell you," She finally said. "On one hand, you have a faint point… but, at the same time, you're the one that sought isolation…" Shaking her head as his face fell, she paused before going on. "You need stop acting like this. This is on you. Don't act like you're devastated."

"She's right," James told him as he came back and wrapped an arm around his wife and gave her a light squeeze. "You have to at least admit it."

"I don't care that she's right!" He gave up on trying to be rational. "Do you have any idea what I'm feeling? How annoyed…how…" Words failing him, Dean groaned in anger. "Do any of you give a damn about anyone besides yourselves?"

Glynda and James exchanged a knowing glance.

"That's a dangerous line to tread," She said, her voice taking on an edge. "Especially since you know that none of us have –"

"What do you know?" He snapped, and she sent him a warning look. "Well?"

"I'm not going to deal with this nonsense," She matched his tone perfectly and primly pushed up her glasses. "Get out."

He took a step back in surprise. "Oh."

A tense moment passed in dead silence but, stepping towards the door with his scotch still in hand, he shook his head.

"I don't even know why I came anymore," He said dryly. "I should just be glad you didn't slap me." Pausing at the door while he made his way out, he tried to smile as best he could. "Thanks for listening to me. I know you've got a lot to handle with the girls and all."

Before they could say another word, he was already out the door. Another tense silence fell over them as they stepped into their room to check on the girls. After several minutes that felt like hours, he gently wrapped his arms around her waist, brought her in close and started bringing his lips down on hers. She didn't fight it in spite of how tired she was. The times that they had between just the two of them had been growing scarce of late. Bringing him even closer to her and their embrace growing stronger, Glynda slowly deepened the kiss. Just having one of these moments relaxed them both and it wasn't long before she was resting in his embrace, her head resting on his shoulder while he held her. As she closed her eyes for the briefest of moments, contentment spread over her. It was quiet, for just a little, and they both had the chance for a time to be together.

"How are you feeling?" James asked her, his voice quiet.

"Okay…just tired. Nothing new, I know. It's nice to have this though." Glynda curled into him as she spoke. "I love you."

"I love you too, Glynda, I love you too." He carefully undid her bun and let her hair cascade down her back, before running his fingers through her very pale blonde waves. "I'm so glad we're okay."

"I know," She said tiredly.

"Glynda…" He said, his voice little more than a whisper. "I don't know what I would do if I lost you. And the girls –"

"They're fine...shh…it's fine," She said as he began to cry, the stress of everything they had known being destroyed taking its toll on them all. "I'm fine," She murmured. "I promise and –"

"You mean everything to me." He whispered. "Glynda –"

She kissed him softly in an attempt to get him to calm down; a reminder to him that she was still here and that the two of them were alright. Resting her forehead on his, she brought him close once again. "I'm not going to leave you."

James sighed. "Glyns, it could have been –"

"But it wasn't." She reminded him. "We both know the dangers and we made our choice. It could have been a lot worse, and, really, I'm just glad you're alive."

He glanced towards where their baby girls were sleeping peacefully.

"I want things to be safe for them," He said, burying his face in his hands and collapsing into their bed. "I can't bear the thought of them having to pay for this."

"None of us can," She said, rubbing his back and sitting down beside him. "I hate saying it, but all we can do now is wait and hope that everything doesn't come falling down."


	16. It Ends Tonight

**_October 19th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:30 AM_**

Emmett stood in the corner as Emmeline made the final touches to her appearance. She kept fidgeting with her inky hair and had spent the last twenty minutes trying to force her hair into a perfectly sleek, high bun. She finally stared at her appearance in disdain and reached for her purse, pulling out a small tube of lipstick. Her hands shook but she managed to paint her lips a deep crimson, but she then began to all but throw a loose powder over her concealer. She had been crying quite a bit that morning, and, now, she was in a small, private room with Emmett. She had been worried he would have insisted she go alone but he had been more than willing to accompany her. It seemed as if he would give her anything she needed. Her thoughts wandered as she tried to fix the little bits of her appearance, but she couldn't help but circle back to one thing.

She loved him more than anything.

Emmeline gently straightened the silver blackbird pin just above her left breast. She always wore it as a symbol of hope, but it was little no comfort in the moment. Biting at her lip, she ignored the fact that she was likely biting off lipstick as well. The last week had been a more than tumultuous one for her. Months having gone by since the attack in Mistral that had, at the time, presumably killed Ashlynn Schnee, everyone had settled into a more normal routine. The council was a mess, but it was rare that it wasn't. At the very least, a feeling of security and peace had settled in once more but had been shattered by the murder of Emmeline's father - Atlesian President Edward Ciel – and the attacks on the DFAMA and the city of Mancaster. The horrible feeling of now having lost both her parents had not left her and, she imagined, would not leave her any time soon.

"Lieutenant Commander Ciel?" The head of the morgue stepped into the room and glanced at her clipboard. Her heels clicked even as she lingered in the doorway. "Vice president…I mean, President Sassler is about to give her eulogy before you and your brothers –"

"Yes, I know," She snapped, then biting her lip when it occurred to her how that had sounded. "Sorry."

Emmeline sighed heavily as the woman left the room looking rather startled. She got out of the beautician's chair before the mirror slowly, and her gait was almost hesitant. Coming over towards Emmett, she pulled him into a tight embrace before she started to cry again despite herself. He cradled her in his arms and, after a moment, brushed away her tears. She readjusted the little bits of her appearance that had shifted, but her expression changed into an almost loathing one with much sadness slipping through the cracks. Taking a look at herself in the mirror, she narrowed her gaze and let out an irritated breath in disappointment at what she saw. Silence then passed and he gently placed a hand on her shoulder. Staring at him with her brown eyes wide, Emmeline did her best not to start crying again as she wrapped her arms tightly around him once more. Resting her head on his chest, she let him hold her close and rub her back for a few minutes that felt significantly longer. Gently breaking their embrace, she started to pace in an attempt to clear her mind that was in vain and rather her thoughts only felt all the more amplified.

"I hate all of this..." She finally said softly as he took her hand. "Why did this have to happen?"

He sighed. "Emmy, I..."

"Emmett, you don't understand. I mean, you understand loss..." Emmeline bit her lip once more as he brushed aside tears. "I'm sorry, Emmett, I just -"

"Emmy," He said, cupping her cheek. "I'm here for you. I know this is hard, but I promise I'm going to be here for you."

Emmeline sighed. "I..."

"Emmy," Emmett said, hesitating as he kissed her. "I love you. I swear it."

She stared at him for a moment, her brown eyes wide. "I...I love you too."

"I don't know if this will make you feel any better," Emmett said gently. "But when I talked with him about us, very briefly, he said he was very happy for you, that he was glad that -"

"I don't want to think about anything right now," She told him, and he nodded as he kissed her cheek.

"Alright," He said, giving her a gentle squeeze. "Sorry I brought it up."

"Don't apologize," Emmeline glanced at her appearance disdainfully once more. "Please don't. None of this is your fault."

"I wish I could make things better," Emmett said quietly.

Emmeline hesitated, but then shook her head. "You are, just by being here with me when I know you don't have to be."

"Emily!" Ronnie scowled at his sister and all but tore open the door, startling both of them. "Are you trying to embarrass us? You, Spencer, and I are supposed to be speaking about dad in two minutes!"

Emmeline nodded, albeit grudgingly. Taking Emmett's hand tightly in hers, she paused in the doorway and let him kiss her once more. She was craving his touch, craving his contact. Sighing heavily as the two of them walked out of the room and into the relatively small church, she saw the closed coffin with the Atlesian flag draped over it. Spencer and Karissa were standing nearby and the five of them stepped forward in unison towards the podium on the beckoning of Annabella Sassler. Emmeline felt terrible as she met the gaze of her father's vice president, but the two women had found it difficult to meet each other's gazes since Sassler had taken Edward's place. Now, President Annie Sassler was giving the five of them a sympathetic look. The slight red of her eyes suggested that she herself had been crying or, at the very least, resisting the urge to.

Ronnie stepped forward first, not because he was the only of the three to be single but because he was the best known. He could feel every single woman in the room staring at him and he wanted to puke at the thought. Of all the things he hated about his position as a senator, he especially hated that he was young enough to be viewed as an attractive man. He did not feel any of them wanted him. He was almost certain they wanted proximity to power and, of course, money. As he let a moment pass in silence, he could hear the new president whisper something that, based on the short nod Emmeline gave her, could be assumed to be condolences. Emmett bit his lip and did not look at anyone but her. Emmeline kept herself tightly in his embrace and could not pay attention to what her brother was saying once he finally began to speak. Spencer seemed almost hollow, and held his wife and baby daughter close. There was nothing that could have made him more protective of his wife and child than this.

"Since the attacks, it has become clear that the planning of them and the…assassination were intentional down to the very last detail," Ronnie swallowed hard as he continued to address the small crowd of people in the church. He knew that thousands were outside, craning all day for any whiff of the state funeral. "Sienna Kahn is responsible for this, for the deaths of so many people – civilians and leaders alike – including my father and I do not know what to do other than try and find her so that there may be justice. The blood of so many is on her hands, and I…"

He trailed off and stared at his hands. Gently, Annabella Sassler stepped forward once more and allowed him a moment to recuperate himself.

"Today was supposed to be a day of peace," She said, glancing to him and the other Ciels. "The day in which our president addresses the council but also the rest of the kingdom and the world. It is not only with the issues of the times but of possible solutions. It has been a few months and sixty-some odd years since the end of the Great War, but it has also been fifty-five years to the day since all nine provinces of the then Kingdom Of Mantle signed the Doppelganger Treaty: officially creating the United Kingdom of Atlas. Further investigation will likely provide us with more answers, but until that time…several details remain unclear. I regret to say that, despite the events occurring a few weeks prior, this day will now, likely, carry an uncanny twinge to it as well. It is no longer a day of peace…for so many, it has become a day of mourning, much like the day of the attacks themselves."

The room remained silent, and not even papers shuffled, or wind hollowed through the rafters.

"It has been only a bit more than a year since Edward Samuel Ciel, my colleague, friend, and predecessor was elected president," Sassler went on, biting her lip. "And it has only been two years since his eldest son was elected as a senator. We are all, in this time, grieving. The entire country is, and the people responsible for the attacks will be fought against. We will come down on them, and we will never surrender to them."

"Loss..." Emmeline started, glancing at Emmett out of the corner of her eye. "Loss is not a singular thing and hatred is not impersonal. I speak from experience with the world in stating that holes are created that cannot be filled with more hatred. I do not know what to say, but I can't help…I…"

Karissa gently intervened. "Enemies continue to arise worldwide. Hate flows strong and still turns streets red with blood. Not everyone cares for mankind. I regret to inform our kingdom of the fact that the peace that this world is experiencing is at risk."

Spencer looked as if he were going to cry himself. "This shouldn't have happened…" He said quietly. "I don't know what to do but…it seems this world is unforgiving and, unfortunately, we cannot have this life of peace forever. There are new groups mobilizing and old ones shifting. This incident does not stand alone. We live in increasingly dangerous times, and –"

"— the best we can hope for is that things do not escalate further into war," Ronnie finished sharply, cursing his brother for losing his composure.

The room was growing tenser with every word that they all spoke. Although they were aware of the calamity of the situation, they had not expected President Sassler nor any of the Ciels to acknowledge the situation and the horror of Edward's death such so bluntly. These words they were speaking were not the reassuring words of hope that they had been hoping for. Rather, they felt almost like a warning for possible times ahead. Emmett couldn't help but be relieved that the two of them were doing what they thought was right despite the fact that there would be people who would oppose it once it was all said and done - new enemies, even.

"These are dark times, and there is no definite answer as to where we may be headed..." Emmeline sighed heavily as she went on and Emmett gave her a loving squeeze. "So, I ask you: when the first shots are fired in the war, who can you trust?"

Sassler nodded. "In conclusion, everyone in this world, in this kingdom must make a choice. It is not an easy one, but it is necessary. That choice is simply this: will you succumb to the darkness to protect yourself or someone else or will you do the hard thing that is right even if it causes you pain?" She paused for a moment before sharing a look with Ciel. "Thank you."

No one spoke as they all began to follow the procession in the silence, but Emmett knew what they were thinking. What the kingdom would be thinking. What the world would be thinking.

_What did they just do and why?_


	17. Give Me A Sign

**_October 31st_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_11:34 PM_**

Entering the training room cautiously, Cinder mentally braced herself for what might be coming for her. On the table by which Salem stood, there were various Dust crystals that she knew she would have to manipulate, and the mirror controlled by the seer that she didn't even want to think about. The last time they had used the mirror, Cinder had been forced to see her brother's life, her little sister's and her twin's. The agony and misery of it all caused her to shatter the mirror. When she had looked into the shards, her eyes were an even brighter amber than usual and were glassy. Regarding her family, she was vastly conflicted in her point of view. A part of her decided that they had made their choices and she had made hers, but another wanted nothing more than the chance to reconcile. The moments she missed her family the most tended to be followed by the moments where she had the most anger; reminders of them brought pain in droves and the best way, she had found, to cope with pain was to respond to it with anger. It was that violent anger that shook everything as she continued to slip further and further away from being Ashlynn Schnee. Only two people saw past this facade: Emmett and Salem. Emmett knew the night that she incapacitated him that she was torn between what to do or not. It certainly didn't help that she had tears in her eyes when she looked at him as she left and the last words she had wanted to leave her lips did.

_I'm sorry for everything, but I had no choice._

Her confliction showed through her because it was a part of who she was. Run from herself as she did, she could never quite escape who she was. Every time she looked in the mirror and even the slightest bit of fear glinted in her eyes, she was reminded of the scared little girl she had been once. She remembered seeking her mother's approval despite the fact that the woman hated her yet adored Willow. The woman aggressively dyed her hair, slapped her if she acted out, and was maddeningly difficult to please. Never mind how harsh his wife could be, Nicholas, for reasons that, if she were being honest, she would never understand, loved her unconditionally and was devastated when she committed suicide when Emmett was two. Emmett, in Cinder's opinion, was lucky to have no memory of their mother but he didn't really care.

Her mother had killed herself with sleeping pills and alcohol. The night it happened, Nicholas had taken the girls and Emmett out into the city to visit his parents. He got a call from a maid who had come into their bedroom to clean it around nine to tell him that his wife was laying, unresponsive, in bed with a bottle of vodka and an empty bottle of sleeping pills on the bedside table. Nicholas had left his then young daughters and his two-year-old son with his parents as he rushed back to the manor to see if it was true. It had been. When the autopsy came back within a few days because of the Schnee's status and it revealed that the amount of alcohol and sleeping pills ingested far exceeded what could be considered an accident.

There hadn't been a note but there weren't any other ideas that made sense. For that reason, the death was classed as a suicide.

As for Salem seeing through her facade, the answer was obvious. The Queen could see past anything that a person could throw at her and she knew how to use it against a person. She could easily pick past other people's masks for her own gain. It was how she knew so much about other people and Cinder suspected that it was part of why she hated humanity. If there was one thing that could make a person hate humanity, it was knowing all of humanity's flaws. Salem assured Cinder that the only reason she pushed her so hard was to turn her away from being human. The more human, the angrier, but less capable, and occasionally less dangerous a person was. At least, that's what she told Cinder and that was what Cinder believed.

"Cinder…let us start with the mirror today," Salem said as she looked at Cinder with a critical eye. "Unless of course you are afraid."

"I am no coward!" Cinder declared as she walked over to the mirror.

Smirking, Salem waved a seer into the mirror while Cinder glared into it. Images began to appear in it clearly; the first of Emmett and Emmeline Ciel. Ciel was smiling while she and Emmett walked with their arms around each other. They paused and Ciel reached up and brought Emmett's face down on hers. Their lips met in earnest as they allowed each other's mouths to meet. Tears began to form in Cinder's blazing eyes as her fingers gripped the railing between her and the mirror tighter than ever. Her knuckles turned white and a little bit of sweat began to form between her palms and the railing. Salem clicked her tongue in disapproval at the sight of her apprentice's tears, causing Cinder to force them away. For once, she didn't shatter the mirror in anger which led Salem to force the image to change.

"Stop crying!" Salem half-shrieked as she swung her hand hard across Cinder's face. "Sympathy for them is only making you weak!" Angrily shaking her head, Salem glared at Cinder as she moved towards the Dust. "You should hope you prove yourself more competent with Dust."

Reminding herself of the feat with dust that she had performed on her birthday and of what her family name has been built on, Cinder picked up multiple crystals and fired them at the mirror as a mechanism to bend them to her will. It was working so well that fear crept back inside her that it was only luck, but her fears were assailed. Managing to manipulate in every way that Salem demanded of her, Cinder couldn't help but breathe a sigh of elation upon the moment that she ran out of dust. The Queen made a curt noise of approval from her vantage point before making her way towards her apprentice and taking in everything about the woman. It was several minutes of disconcerting viewing before Salem finally spoke.

"Your emotions do grant you some strength, I must admit. However, the emotions that grant you strength are not the ones that you feel for your family...are they Cinder?" Judging by the look on Cinder's face, she had her answer. "Of course they aren't. The feelings you have towards the people that you share ties to are weaknesses."

Cinder nodded as the Queen went on.

"The love you hold for your brother is not what you focus on when it comes to him. With him, focus on your jealousy of his happiness. In regard to your sister, do not feel sympathy or pity for her. Feel anger at her for being too weak to change. Remember with Cristal that she is the wife of one of our foes. And as for your niece, like for her mother, do not feel sympathy or pity for her. Feel disdain towards her for who her father is." Appraising her appearance once again, Salem waved her hand dismissively. "That's enough for today, Cinder. I don't want to render you completely useless. Off to bed. Now."

She did what she was told. If anyone wanted to survive under the Queen's eye, they did what they were told - even if it broke them to tiny bits of their former selves.

Even if it ended with them being a shadow of their former self.

* * *

**_November 3rd_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_11:21 PM_**

Cristal was curled up in bed, feeling both nauseated and anxious. She had tried to reconcile her tumultuous emotions but found that she couldn't and was, much to her surprise, grateful that she had been able to take time off. She had to return to work in a week, but she would brace herself by them. So she told herself, at any rate. She felt cold, and her fitted silk pyjamas felt like freezing water against her skin. After a moment, she relented and pulled one of her thin blankets over herself. Her glasses were slightly askew, and she had been trying to fall asleep for the last hour but had been unable to. Her thoughts were preoccupied by what she had learned only a little while earlier, and all she wanted was either sleep or for Oz to be with her. She felt dizzier by the minute, and it did not help that her thoughts were swirling and swirling and swirling. Everything, it seemed, was distant.

"Chrissy?" Ozpin paused in the doorway but quickly came over to her side, sounding concerned. "Please don't tell me that you've barricaded yourself in here."

"I feel like shit," She muttered, tiredly probing her forehead. "I…"

He gently wrapped an arm around her and she curled tightly into his embrace.

"Chrissy," He murmured. "You look awful."

"I know," She said weakly. "But we…we need to…"

"What is it, darling?" He asked, cupping her cheek.

Cristal sighed. "Oz, it's..."

She trailed off and he silently stroked her hair to try and comfort her.

"Listen," She murmured. "We're going to have a baby."

Ozpin smiled and then pulled her tightly into him. "Oh my God...Chrissy, that's wonderful."

She nodded, closing her eyes as she held him tighter. "We're really going to have a family…" She tiredly mumbled.

"Of course we will," He said, kissing her cheek. "And I promise it will be safe. Don't worry. You and I will make sure of that."

"I'm glad," She said, rubbing at her eyes. "I'm exhausted as it is."

"Do you need me to get you anything?" He asked, releasing her and giving his wife a chance to fall asleep.

"I'll be fine," She told him, setting her glasses on the nightstand and pulling her sleep mask over her eyes. "Just sleep deprived."

"Alright, feel better, Chrissy," Ozpin murmured, changing into his pyjamas. "I'll be there in just a minute myself."

It wasn't too long before they fell asleep in each other's arms.

* * *

**_November 7th_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_2:58 PM_**

Waking up to the sudden shriek of her eldest daughter, Glynda rolled over quickly to put her glasses back on and quickly took the girl into her arms. It made things easier that she was only hungry, she knew, but as the girl started to hyperventilate, Glynda made her way into the kitchen and pulled herself up onto the counter with her daughter still in her arms. The last thing she needed was for Ivy to wake up as well and for both of them to need something. Several minutes passed of continued hyperventilation before the tiny girl finally latched and began to calm down upon the realization that she had something to take down.

Between the both of her twin girls, it seemed that her eldest was the most prone to impatience although that was not to say that either girl was particularly patient or calm. Glynda wasn't at all surprised by that, and not just because of how small they were. Whether or not she or James would admit it, neither of them were particularly patient in general although he was a little more patient than she was. Depending on the circumstances, of course. The relative darkness of the room was comforting to her; the only light was the faint blue light and the twinkle of the city, of which came through the slits in the window blinds. Looking over to the small clock by the coffee machine, Glynda couldn't help but sigh when as she read the time.

_3:15 AM_

The little girl soon finished nursing and fell asleep in her mother's arms. Carefully climbing down from the counter, she brought the small girl close to her and began to pace with a soothing bounce in her step around the apartment. Several minutes passed in silence, but soon it became almost unbearable. Hesitantly, she walked over to the stereo. Lowering the volume to its lowest reasonable setting, she turned on the radio in the kitchen and allowed the rhythm to enter her step as she held her baby girl close. The girl's eyes fluttered open and shut for a minute before she cooed a little and fell back asleep. Much to her mother's relief, she didn't start crying again and her sister did not wake either. As softly as she could manage, Glynda allowed herself the chance of relative solitude and peace to hum.

_Beware that the light is fading, beware as the dark returns. This world is unforgiving, even brilliant lights will cease to burn. Legends scatter. Day and night will sever. Hope and peace are lost forever. This will be the day we've waited for. This will be the day we open the door. I don't want to hear your absolution; hope you're ready for a revolution. Welcome to a world of new solutions. Welcome to a world of bloody evolution. In time, your heart will open minds. The stories will be told, and victory is in a simple soul._

"I really do love it when you do that," Standing in the doorway of their bedroom, James was smiling as she jumped back slightly at being startled. "Really, I know you're confident in your abilities, but you don't show them."

"I don't have any reason to, I'm a huntress not a singer." Glynda sighed as she laid their sleeping daughter back down before she moved into the doorway with him. "You know that."

"I know. I still love it though." Combing her hair with his fingers as she wrapped her arms around him, he couldn't help but be relieved that she was feeling better than she had earlier despite how late it was. "I'm glad you're feeling better."

"I was perfectly fine, James, really I was." Her green eyes flashed in heavy annoyance for the briefest of seconds before she admitted the truth. "Alright so maybe I'm a little overwhelmed right now."

Despite her constant insistence on being able to handle everything, they both knew that that wasn't the case. There were a lot of things causing them tension, but there was something that was biting away at her that he couldn't understand.

"It can't just be about the girls, can it?" He asked her gently.

"Of course it isn't just about the girls," She snapped. "But I actually cannot talk about it."

James's brow furrowed in confusion. "Glynda, what in the world could –"

"Something to do with Ozpin. Honestly James, I'm not any happier about the fact that I can't talk about it than you are." Glynda shook her head in irritation as she walked back into kitchen to get water. "And even if I told you what it was, you'd probably think I'd lost my mind."

"Glynda –" James started worriedly.

"Unless you believe in fairytales, James, you're going to think I've lost it." As she sipped her water, she observed his expression. Concern for her was all over his face and she couldn't help herself but feel bad for what she was doing. "Of course, you could always ask Emmett or Emmeline or even Chrissy about this because they're aware of it too."

"It's not that I don't like the fact that you can't tell me. I get it. There are things associated with my job that I can't tell you. I just…" Coming over to her and giving her a squeeze, he sighed. "Glyns, I hate that this seems to be hurting you."

"It's just shocking. I'll get over it soon enough," Setting down her glass while she shifted to wrap her arms around him, she placed a small kiss on his lips before leaning into him. "I promise that I'll be okay."

"I know you will be, but you know that it isn't easy to see you like this. I want you to be happy." He brought her in close as she relaxed. "I love you so much, Glynda"

"I love you too…" She murmured. "I'm sorry I'm making things difficult right now."

"It's not your fault," He said, sighing. "I can't blame you for any of this. You're doing the best you can and we're both trying to adjust to the way things have changed."

"I'm not helping though and -" She protested.

"Glynda, really, it's okay. I've got you. You're not going to fall. You're one of the strongest people I've ever met, and I know that you survive." Kissing her forehead, he tried to show her that he wasn't going to run. He wanted her to know that he was always going to have her back. "You know I'm not going to lie to you, right?"

"Of course I know that. I… I don't know what's wrong with me right now other than the usual and, honestly…" She trailed off, unable to find a way to describe how she was feeling without being vastly self-depreciative.

"Glynda," James said gently. "Nothing is wrong with you, and -"

Snapping, she let loose what she was thinking. "There are a lot of things wrong with me, and you know it."

He shook his head. "You're human. We both are, and…"

"You care about me more than I deserve." Glynda fell backwards and ran her fingers through her hair. "Sometimes I wonder why or how…"

"I love you Glynda," James promised. "You're a beautiful woman with a beautiful personality. You fight even when it's hard. Glynda, if you were actually trying to find something that was wrong with you, do you honestly think you'd even find something that is actually wrong with you?"

"I'm inherently selfish and am nothing short of a bitch even when I'm trying. I fight in defense of the right things, but I do so for the wrong reasons. I feel a consistent need to prove myself and that is what drives me. James, you are the first person I haven't felt that I've needed to prove myself to but that doesn't mean that I'm not a selfish bitch." Glynda sighed in dejection while turning to face him. "I really do hate myself sometimes."

Laying down next to her, James took her hand and squeezed it tight. "Glynda, you're human. No one is perfectly selfless, that would be impossible. Besides that, if you ask me, you aren't a bitch. You don't have a problem being direct with people, which is probably where that is coming from. And I don't think your real reasons for fighting are because you feel you have something to prove. If that was the case, you would have chosen to be a mercenary or something similar."

"I'm still a selfish bitch –" She argued.

"No, you're not. I know that you don't always like yourself, but that doesn't mean that your flaws are what define you." Despite being near tears, Glynda didn't flinch as he brought her into a tight embrace. "And even if you think that, I don't care - even if it's true. I love you so damn much that it hurts. I'm not going to let you go even if you think I should. I'm right here, and I'm not going to disappear on a moment's notice. I've got you. I promise."

Sniffling a little as tears fell down her face, Glynda nodded. "I love you…"

James brushed her slightly damp hair away from her eyes as he pushed her glasses back up. "I love you too."


	18. By Any Other Name

**_November 16th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:11 PM_**

Emmeline continued to pace briskly around her apartment while Emmett watched her in concern. She was on the phone, again, and tension continued to ride through the air. Since the day of the funeral and the comments made by the family and Sassler, she had received a maddening amount of calls from various council members and military colleagues and advisors – all of whom were less than pleased by what she and the president had said. At first, she had tried to keep the content of the calls private from him but, once she had been pushed too far, she had since given up and left her scroll on speaker as she continued to argue with various people. The arguments took rather nasty turns at a shockingly quick pace; even Winchester had thrown, not only his usual comments about her competency, a few snide remarks in about her family.

There were a few that kept bringing these conversations back around every few days, which, he knew, did terrible things to her temper. Click after click of her heels on the floor often was followed by angry grunts and muttering. Most of the time, it seemed, after she finished dealing with these people and the onslaught of opposition, she just was pissy for a while before she found a reason to have a drink with him on the balcony to stop thinking for an hour or two. The way things were turning, it looked like this was going to turn out to be one of those days. She'd been on call with Rebecca Neale for over three hours, finding a ridiculous amount of ways to rephrase the same thing in direct succession.

"Neale, for God's sake, I did what I thought was necessary," Emmeline said, forcing herself to be calm. "I did what I felt was right and I do not appreciate your comments on the choices I've made in regard to this matter."

"...Lieutenant Commander Ciel, honestly, you and your family and Sassler were supposed to –"

"Which we did," She said tensely. "We did express our feelings of loss, but we also informed the people of the state. I'm sorry if you don't understand what grief is doing to my family but -"

"...The truth hurts. Why couldn't you have just given them reassuring words of hope like we suggested?"

"That would have been insulting to my father's memory and for all his faults I am not going to accept people like you devaluing his sacrifices and the things he did for this country," She said sharply. "And, as you ought to know, we've had decades of peace, and you should know as well as the rest of us that there is no way that it will last. You've seen what's been changing in the world. Initially peaceful groups are resorting to violence, the grimm are growing stronger, people are disappearing and turning up dead like it's some twisted –"

"...Here is what I don't understand about your family. Reasonably, of course, you all support greater security, your brother has placed restrictions on the Schnee Dust Company through the legislature, etc, etc. Yet you all refuse to support taking military action against Mistral for what happened to several members of the council and then of course there's Emmett Schnee and your personal trysts with him. Not only that, you all are then are audacious enough to admit to the entire kingdom that we are at risk of losing our time of peace –"

"Which is true, and you know it. I just explained that, do not make me do so again," Emmeline paused but then went on. "Neale, listen to me and so help me if you don't. Inciting war is the last thing any of us want to do. Yes, I am aware that a lack of action in the face of a serious threat to an ally was what got Jansen –"

"...You are toeing the same line that Jansen did!"

"Neale," Emmeline snapped. "Shut the fuck up."

"...So, you admit that I'm pissing you off. I have to admit, it's pretty obvious. Never heard you tell anyone to 'shut the fuck up' before. Interesting change in diction though, I must say."

"I don't know why it seems that your major goal in life is to be a thorn in my backside, Neale, but I am not going to take back what I did, none of us will," Emmeline shook her head. "It is completely true that we are slowly losing our grip on peace. Whether or not we lose that peace in one year or, I don't know, maybe eighteen, nineteen, or twenty years is up to chance. I took the chance I was given to tell the truth and honor my father's memory. It's not as if I had decided to tell the entire kingdom about the aura –"

"...Make one comment about how it's ethical grey area that we're treading in and I swear –"

"It is, though. It is not ethically grey, however, to inspire false hope in the people or dishonor a man's sacrifice," Emmeline sighed. "That is just wrong. I cannot do that which is why I didn't. My family…Sassler and I are on the exact same page with regard to that. And you know what else? I have even more reasons for doing what I did that, if only you knew, could change your entire perspective on the world that we live in."

"...Some military bullshit, I assume. A report from one of your special operatives?"

"You would do well to watch your language, Neale." Emmeline said sharply.

"...You're one to talk. You were the one who just threw around the term 'fuck'. Seems to me like the attacks a few days after that speech with Sassler has made you paranoid."

"Neale –" Emmeline began dangerously.

"...No, I'll leave you alone now. After all, we don't want one of the people running our army to lose their mind."

The line clicked dead and Emmeline shut her scroll off in anger and frustration. Slamming it down on the counter before plugging it into the wall, she let her emotions show through on her face. Emmett sighed as she continued to pace, her heels clicking dangerously. It was six thirty and the sun had been down for a few hours now. Walking over to the refrigerator, he pulled out two beers and handed one to her. Taking it sharply from him, she slowly left her façade behind and allowed the two of them some peace to relax in. Embracing him tightly for a moment, she tried to put all her thoughts out of her head that weren't related to the two of them. As difficult as that was, she did so enough to feel better than she had. An hour passed, followed by another and she was almost calm by the time the doorbell rang and Emmett was met by the last person he wanted to see.

"What are you doing here?" Emmett asked of his brother in law who followed him inside as he slammed the door behind them in annoyance.

"I'm not here because of you, for once. I need to speak to Emmeline, regarding her brother." Though his expression was an attempt at neutrality, Emmett saw right through to what he was really getting at. Annoyance spread through him as he crossed his arms before responding.

"About what, might I ask?" Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Listen, I know this might be hard for you to understand, but -"

"I wanted to tell her that I thought they did the right thing," Jacques said silkily. "It could not have been easy to do as they did even with Sassler, to tell the people –"

"Really?" Emmett smirked upon realizing that he had yet another personal reason to hate the man.

"Excuse me?" Jacques said, narrowing his eyes.

Emmett responded to the lack of subtlety directly. "You know just as well as I do that the only reason you're here is because –"

"Jacques, no matter what anyone says, Ronnie's not lifting any of the restrictions he's convinced the legislature to place on the SDC no matter what you tell me or him. So, unless there is something so pertinent that you have knowledge of that involves Emmett that you need to be here for, get out." Emmeline slid down the banister and landed perfectly at the end.

Jacques rolled his eyes. "Emmeline, it really isn't just about profits –"

"Bullshit," She said bluntly. "That's exactly what it's about. You're losing profits because my brother is trying to restrain the unethical business practices that you –"

"The United Kingdom of Atlas –" He started.

"Oh, will you just get over the fact that we're not going to bend to your will?" Emmeline rolled her eyes. "No one will, don't you see. I know full well that –"

"What are you talking about?" Jacques demanded. "You want to do what's best –"

"I am not pushing back against temporarily closing our borders because of what has been happening with regard to the –" Emmeline started.

"You –" Jacques began.

"Shut up!" Emmeline snapped, everything about her beyond angry. "What I was saying was that the threat of grimm attack is higher in the kingdom than it has ever been. Not only that but, ever since what happened to the council members who were in Mistral months ago, I'm under constant surveillance because I'm at high risk, especially with what happened to my dad! Those have only increased that concern, so forgive me if my patience is running thin."

"Just get out," Emmett told him and, to his surprise, he did as Emmett insisted though not with a deep glare.

Once he was gone, Emmeline sighed in pure irritation. Unable to think of anything else to do, Emmett brought her into him and let her silently vent. Minute after minute passed while her breathing was on and off between steady and erratic. Shifting to take her hand and head upstairs, he himself began to grow nervous. The second that he saw the breaking news story on his scroll was the same second he thought he was going to lose her too. His third-year class had just let out and he was supposed to have a meeting with the rest of the staff when it was suddenly cancelled, and the news report came through alongside the cancellation from General Tanner. Things were growing steadily worse, and the attacks in September had only worsened that. All they served to do was make it clear that things really were getting more dangerous out there, and the last thing anyone needed was to have their guard down.

* * *

**_November 30th_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_7:37 PM_**

"Sit," Salem commanded her apprentice as they entered the conference hall. Cinder did as she was told, questions and observations flashing through her mind one after the other and then disappearing. "Let me be clear, you still have much work to do. However, you did well in providing the world with a warning and a scare."

Shock swept over Cinder's expression against her will. "I know that President Ciel and the council members assassinations were a warning, but what was the scare? I thought the bomb was supposed to kill Emmeline."

"We're not going to kill her… at least not quite yet. It wouldn't do us any good to kill her right now; after all, the only reason we'll kill her eventually is to prove that no one is safe. Not even Atlas can be out of our firing range." Salem circled around the ovular table before she stopped in front of Cinder, who visibly tensed. "Don't feel bad for them, Cinder, how many times do I have to tell you that?"

"I'm sorry." Cinder bowed her head as she tried to avoid the inflamed gaze of the Queen.

"Look up," Salem shook her head at the expression worn by the young woman. "Remorse is doing you no good, it is only holding you back. If you ever want to be better than them…you need to remove yourself from them to. Now: get out of my sight."

* * *

**_December 2nd_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_9:37 PM_**

Glynda let herself back into the apartment after her meeting with Emmett, Emmeline, and Ozpin. Things weren't looking much better, but they also weren't looking much worse. It was a relief to know that they were at a point of relative stability, but it was a dangerous point that they could easily tip off of. President Ciel's death had been the catalyst. Even knowing this, though, she was starting to feel better about herself now that her things were more under control. Things in Atlas were worrying to her, and it was in part due to her worries about the world the girls had been brought into. Still, she wasn't feeling conflicted or pressured in regard to her work with Ozpin's group and the girls had, more or less, settled into a fairly steady routine. James was always there for her to lean on, even when she couldn't understand how he could with his military work and constant deployments. She was losing track of the amount of times they had lashed out at each other and they were still been there for one another.

Reattaching her crop to her boot, she tried to be as quiet as possible. He had been at home all day with the girls and if the three of them were asleep it wouldn't do anyone any good if they woke up. That was especially true when it came to the girls. She was wrong, though, because, when she looked up after sliding her boots up against the wall, James stepped into the living room with a smile. She sighed as she put down her cape before she curled into him on the couch. As she let him hold her, she closed her eyes and tried to not think about everything that she was worried about. His fingers softly messed with her hair as she laid there in her temporary moment of bliss, but he knew that she was nervous. Her cramps had been steadily getting worse and the painkillers weren't helping anymore, so she stopped taking them. She shifted suddenly every time one happened.

Eventually her glasses fell off her face and struck the floor. Using her semblance, she pulled them into her hand and then placed them back on her face, but she didn't look much better. If anything, she looked like she was in more pain than she already was in. Slowly, she forced herself to get off the couch and shower. The hot water and steam helped but it didn't stop them entirely. An hour passed before she shut off the water and changed into her pyjamas. The girls were still asleep and, after her hair was brushed out and reasonably dry, as she came back out into the living room, she was relieved that James was still there. He had changed as well, but other than that it felt as if nothing had changed. Curling into him on the couch once more, she began to feel better. Leaning over to kiss her forehead, he sighed as he brought her closer to him. It wasn't long before they both drifted off to sleep, but for her it wasn't restful.

The creatures of grimm in the desolate city that had long since abandoned were growing in number. Flicking her crop, she knocked several back, but they kept coming back. Running into one of the buildings for temporary shelter, a scream escaped her as she found herself with a glass sword at her neck. The woman's face was undefined, but there was fire in her eyes, and she looked as if she had been lonely for too long. With her crop as her focus tool for her semblance, she pushed the sword away from her and the woman vanished into thin air. Hesitantly walking through the corridor, she felt more and more on edge. It wasn't until she ran into Emmett that she knew it was a dream. As much as he looked like her friend, he was not him. Silently attempting to kill her, Glynda barely missed the shots he swung her way. Noticing a sniper rifle on the ground, she picked it up and fired it at him. The recoil was strong, however, and it knocked her backwards. Falling into the dark abyss, it almost felt like she was going to die...die…die…

Eyes fluttering open calmly in spite of everything she had just seen, Glynda took a moment to observe her surroundings. James was no longer beneath her. He was across the room with his work clothes back on again in the kitchen making what smelled like earl grey tea with lemon. Quickly pulling the blanket off of herself, she looked around for her glasses next and relief spread over her as her hand found them on the table next to the couch. As soon as they were back on her face, she poked her head into her and James's room to check on the girls. They were soundly asleep. Ivy was sucking on her thumb and Caitlin had an arm tightly around her bear. The clock read 4:06 AM and, though it was still dark outside, the city lights poured through the windows. Coming back into the kitchen, she sighed as he handed her the tea and twisted her hair together before letting it cascade naturally down her back.

"Please don't tell me I woke you up." The look on his face said it all and she let out a soft sound of irritation. "I'm sorry –"

"Don't be, really don't be." Giving her a squeeze to prove that it really was okay, he was relieved when she nodded. "Were you having another nightmare?"

She nodded as she remembered it. "You know just as well as I do that they're awful."

"I know…was it another one where the people you care about turn on you?" He asked softly, not wanting to upset her even a little.

"This time it was Emmett. I've gotten to the point where I know they're dreams, but it doesn't make it any easier to have to fight the people you care about for your life even if it isn't real." Shaking her head as she placed down the tea, she let him pull her in. "It's worse when it's our teammates."

"Glynda –" He said gently.

"Not right now," She said, sighing. "I don't want to think about it."

"I'm right here for you," James kissed her forehead. "Please don't worry."

She nodded. "I love you..."

Closing her eyes as he comforted her, she pushed her fears away and tried to come back down. The last thing anyone needed was to fall below the waves and into the abyss.


	19. All My Oxygen

**_December 9th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_3:21 PM_**

"If you won't tell me why you married my sister, at least let me see my niece. Come on, she's my niece!" Emmett sighed as he tried to be reasonable. "You let me train and spend time with her, so why is just talking with her any different? You can be so –"

"You really do have a terrible command of language, don't you Emmett?" Irritation swept across Jacques's expression as he narrowed his gaze at his brother in law.

Emmett sighed again. "Please?"

Jacques glared. "Why would I want to let you anywhere near her outside of training when you're the reason she acts out in the first place?"

"Acts out?" Emmett stared at him in confusion.

"She argues with me, for one," Jacques said, his irritation only clearer. "And she's neglected her duties as heiress before Willow and I decided we'd have someone to take her place."

Emmett stared at him in horror. "Do you even love her? She's your daughter –"

"I don't have time for this," Jacques snapped. "And I'm not going to let you see her."

"Then tell me the truth," He said simply. "Why did you marry my sister?"

Jacques narrowed his eyes. "Willow is beautiful, graceful, kind hearted, charming, eloquent, and willing to do anything for her family –"

"Cut the pretense. Do you love her?" Emmett raised an eyebrow as he crossed his arms. "Well do you?"

"What…" Jacques stared. "Whatever do you mean?"

Looking at the man as if he was a complete and utter dolt, Emmett repeated himself. "Do you love her?"

"Emmett, does anyone actually marry for love?" Jacques asked, struggling to hide his thoughts from the man in front of him.

Emmett's horrified look only increased at the acknowledgement. "So, you don't love her?"

Grasping Emmett's shoulder harshly, Jacques's voice lowered to a deadly whisper. "I may find your sister charming amongst other things, but love is not one of them."

"Then why the hell would you marry her?" Emmett asked with same tone as Jacques's in voice. "Why the hell would you do that if you didn't love her?"

"Ashlynn would never have agreed to marry me even though I was in love with her at the time," Jacques informed him "I've grown to care a great deal for Willow, but I only married her for her fortune."

Emmett shook his head sadly. "You're a snake."

"That is completely irrelevant," Jacques replied. "My point to you, Emmett, is, and let me reiterate it now that I've answered your question, that I am not letting you anywhere near -"

He trailed off upon Emmett reaching into his sinfully large bag and pulling out some eggs and mayonnaise from within it. It took Jacques far longer to realize his own daughter had stepped out of her room to see what the commotion was about.

"Sorry," Emmett said, having noticed his niece and not wanting her to be forced to hear their argument so young.

Emmett tried to take down the eggshells and mayonnaise as if it were two cent whisky but ended up gagging and puking into a plastic plant. As it happened, this was much to the disgust of his brother in law, the amusement of Klein, and concern from Winter.

"Emmett?" Winter looked at him worriedly. "Where are you going? I thought we were going to -"

"Not today, change of plans." Placing a hand on her shoulder while her face changed from worry to confusion. "Listen to me, Winter, listen to me…"

"Are you sure you don't need something?" Klein resisted the urge to snicker. "Perhaps a towel?"

"Or medication…" Jacques remarked under his breath.

"Don't…" Emmett finally stopped gagging and sent his niece a pointed look. "Don't be like me."

Though she didn't quite understand, Winter nodded. "Okay." She said simply, however perplexed by her uncle's behavior.

Emmett pulled her into a quick hug before running out and hoping he wouldn't puke again. "Make me proud, pipsqueak." He called back.

* * *

**_December 16th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_1:34 PM_**

_Why is he not here yet? Why aren't any of them here yet? Ciel, Schnee? Where in the world are they?_

Cinder had been wandering for days. Salem had sent her back to Atlas to, as she put it, keep an eye Emmett Schnee and, more importantly, the Ciel family. Emmett Schnee. That was who he was now, not her brother. A now-workaday man who had been of a status far above that since the day he was born. The no sympathy strategy was working. Now all she saw in her former family were their flaws. In Emmett, she saw an entitled brat who had received everything he had ever wanted yet was at odds with one of the richest men in Remnant. Jacques was that man, without even having to do anything for it but marry well. In Willow, she saw a weak woman who resorted to reclusiveness to deal with her marriage. In Cristal, she saw a spiteful, rising prosecutor. In Winter, she saw a girl who could easily be brought over to their side. Easily manipulated.

But, for the moment, Salem had her in Atlas to spy primarily on the Ciels. She wasn't going to take the risk of the Emmeline recognizing her, but more concerningly Emmett, so she was in reasonable disguise. Her dark hair was up in a high bun, her amber eyes concealed by grey contacts. Her lips were a deep, rosy pink and she was dressed in black wedges, silver grey pants, and a dark blue shirt mostly covered by a black trench coat. Her weapon was concealed under her coat alongside some Dust in the pockets. She looked to be a polished, high class Atlesian woman which, naturally, meant that people were going to leave her alone. As she walked down the streets with her hands in her pockets, she got a strong sense of deja vu. It was more than foreign. This was where she was born and raised, but it was also the opposite of that place. She hated the feeling of being back where she was from more than anything.

This wasn't her kingdom anymore. It was the kingdom where the people put faith in one a council and academy with more power than most armies. That went double for the fact that they had the only standing military in Remnant at that. She found her anger boiling to the surface as she thought of how they all chose to work with a system she knew was broken. It pissed her off that Ronnie Ciel wasn't allowed to be assassinated yet. Salem had several rules for that, one of which was that any of the Ciels had to be assassinated on the same day and at the same time as their father. Another was that it had to be the right time. The people needed to feel safe, and right now they didn't. Cinder privately doubted that the people would ever feel safe and, instead, believed that more and more of them in Atlas were going to become more and more loathing of those that threatened or continued to threaten their perception of peace.

For this day, however, her luck changed.

Cinder dug her hands further into her pockets as she observed Emmeline Ciel and Emmett Schnee on the other side of the road as they walked. His arm was around her waist, and she was leaning in towards him. Against her will, a stroke of jealousy went through to her heart. She fought back the pain, the tears, everything that was hurting her. It was all her fighting against her nature and who she was. The world was cold, unforgiving and she knew that. Everything about this place was reminding her of the woman she had once been. And that was damn near unbearable.

_Focus yourself, remember what you're after._ She reminded herself. _Sympathy won't get you power, and that is exactly what you are after._

Moving over to the side of the road that Emmett and Ciel were on, she intentionally gave off the appearance that she was lost in her thoughts. She wasn't above giving the appearance of clumsiness of a girl lost in her own mind in turn gave her the opportunity to bump into him. Quite literally, at that. As they got closer, she began to move discreetly to the side until she rammed suddenly into him and fell over. Releasing his arm from around the Ciel, Emmett reached his hand out towards her to help her off of the ground. Having hit the ground hard, Cinder attempted to look like she was fixing her clothes and brushing off her jacket as she took his hand hesitantly.

"Sorry about that, are you alright?" Emmett asked once she was back on her feet.

Looking at him in the eye with a flash of jealousy as she noticed Ciel, she chose to nod. "Yes, but…wait aren't you Emmett Schnee?" Choosing to play dumb, Cinder smiled like an idiot which caused Emmeline to raise an eyebrow.

"Yeah, I'm Emmett Schnee, why?" He confirmed with a question attached to the response as he looked to Emmeline with the same confusion that she was looking at Cinder with.

"Oh… it's just you looked familiar and the white hair…" Continuing the dumb act, she tried to act like she had never seen him before and was a normal, klutzy, woman.

"You know," He said as Emmeline narrowed her eyes while examining Cinder's face. "I feel like I've seen your face before...except your eyes are grey, not amber and -"

"Of course my eyes aren't amber," Cinder snapped far too quickly. "I mean...sorry to bother you."

Running off as fast as she could, Cinder tried to not drive any further suspicions from either him nor Ciel. Salem had informed her weeks ago of the now-official investigation into the whereabouts of Ashlynn Schnee. That was another part of why she was in Atlas. It was a test of not only her will, but of her subterfuge and disguise. After all, it would ruin the plans that she and the Queen were making if people still recognized her in disguise. Thankfully, it seemed like they were fooled. For now. Besides, the Ciels were starting to be known not only for their skill but for paranoia. They might be smart, and they might be powerful, but none of them were infallible. Because, to be realistic, who was going to take the Ciels seriously the minute they started talking about how their father had been killed by the woman who had been considered dead for months?

* * *

**_December 20th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:19 AM_**

The cool December air flowed fairly statically through the city of Vale. Though it wasn't always easy for the two of them to get time alone together, today they had managed it. Things were looking good for them right now. The girls were doing well, their jobs were both steady, and it seemed as if things were finally starting to turn around. There had been the odd moment at the faculty holiday party at Beacon when Devin, one of Glynda's coworkers, told them the story of her job before she became the assistant to Professor Peach. James had stared at her in disbelief when the twenty-nine year old woman told them all about how she had been in the circus to pay for her degree, and that it had involved being dressed as a clown and eating disgusting meats while people tried to guess her credit score. Ozpin had turned around in shock while Cristal had recoiled at the notion and seemed to hope that the woman had been joking.

The truth was that stories of that degree were typical for Devin. She was an odd woman, to say the very least.

"It's a good thing that Emmett agreed to watch the girls today since he's in town for the next few weeks." With her hand in James's, Glynda leaned over on to him slightly as they walked through the city of Vale. "It's just the two of us right now."

Curling a finger around her bangs, he smiled. "And we'll get to have some more alone time later."

"I'm looking forward to it," Glynda said, kissing his cheek. "Hopefully the girls will be alright."

"They will be. It's not as if Emmett would let anything happen," He pulled her in close before the two of them began to walk again. "I love you so much."

Squeezing his hand, she smiled. "I love you too."

"Speaking of Emmett, though, how do you think he's holding up?" He asked with a bit of amusement in his voice.

"I don't know; hopefully alright. Has he ever really dealt with babies before?" Glynda asked although they both knew that he hadn't.

"Wasn't he ten when Winter was born?"

"I think so…he only started training her recently though. At least they've grown close enough over the years that she trusts him," Pulling out her key to the building, Glynda sighed as she let them in. "Apparently things didn't go well when he was there the other day."

"What happened?" James asked, trying not to imagine the things Emmett could have said or done.

"He didn't say. I was planning on asking him though." Glynda smiled as he squeezed her hand.

As she let them back into the apartment, she was relieved to see that the place was still standing and that nothing was wrong. Emmett had set up multiple pillows and blankets on the floor of the living room. The girls were both laying on them and rolling around a little. Caitlin had her bear in her arms while Ivy was laughing as Emmett tickled her tiny, bare toes. Placing down her bag and taking off her shoes, Glynda couldn't have stopped herself from smiling even if she had wanted to. The girls were happy, everything seemed to be alright, and Emmett had not gone up in flames by some miracle. James wrapped a loving arm around his wife as they came over towards Emmett and the girls. It was all so nice to see that things didn't seem dark even though they all knew how the world of Remnant really was. After all, they fought against the darkness.

And of all the people in this room, that goes double for you and Emmett. Glynda thought bitterly in spite of how beautiful the moment was. Salem and the people who work for her.

"Seriously, your kids are so sweet," Emmett said as he continued to play with Ivy who was giggling. "I mean, Caitlin seems to mainly want to be left alone but she's been pretty placid. Unless she's rolled onto her stomach and forgotten how to roll back or if I try to hold her the wrong way."

"She hates being on her stomach," James said as his wife picked up their little girl and held her close. "But she does love being held." Observing the relaxed smile on the little girl's face as he gently kissed his wife on the cheek, James felt confident that he was right.

"She's a feisty baby," Emmett chuckled. "I tried to put a cute headband I brought on her and she chucked it away. Seems like she's already got the innate Atlesian desire to tell the rest of the world to go fuck itself."

Glynda rolled her eyes. "Are you really going to go there?"

"I don't need to nor want to…but I can," Emmett said, putting his hands up in surrender. "Believe me, I could but I don't think the two of you want to hear it or, maybe, about me and Emmeline and -"

"No," Glynda told him, her eyes going sharp. "Let's just agree to not talk about each other's sex lives, okay?"

"Okay," Emmett agreed, his face falling slightly when he noticed the look Glynda and James shared. "What's going on? Did something -"

He cut himself off, realizing exactly what they were waiting for him to tell them. Sighing deeply as he rubbed the back of his neck, Emmett hesitated before responding.

"This is about my family?" He surmised and she nodded. Emmett sighed heavily and then shook his head. "You know how there's always been something that wasn't quite…right about Willow and Jacques' relationship, right?"

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "How does that –"

"I got into an argument with Jacques because he seems to think that I'm a bad influence on my niece…for some reason," Emmett sighed again, looking a bit dismayed. "We argued, I finally demanded to know if he loves my sister -"

She shook her head. "Wait…what?"

"He's convinced I'm nothing but trouble," He repeated. "And then it came back around to asking him why he married my sister."

"That was what you were arguing about?" Both Glynda and James were incredulous at that assertion. "Please tell me you're joking."

"I'm not. I've hated the man since I realized back in year eight when I was fourteen what kind of snake he is, in large part because of Cristal." Emmett breathed in irritation before continuing. "I know that my sister has had a…potentially unfair influence over me because of how close we are but he still admitted to me that the only reason he married her was because he couldn't have Ash and because he wanted the family fortune."

"I hate saying this," Glynda sent Emmett a sharp look as she continued to gently sway her cooing daughter in her arms. "But are you at all surprised by that?"

"No," He scoffed, feeling irritated that he hadn't pointed it out to Jacques before he forced him to tell him. "Of course I'm not surprised. The man's a snake, and I've known that for a long time."

"What I don't understand is how this all ties back to Winter," James reminded him of his original point. "I don't think you've explained that at all -"

"She came into the hall and I honestly don't know how much she heard but she's too damn young to have to deal with something like this…so I tried in vain to bridge it away and…let's just leave it at that, okay?" Emmett began to break down as tears swept out of his eyes. "I couldn't believe it for a long time myself. And, really, no one should have to suffer in the way that she has. A child shouldn't have to question whether or not their parents love them. That's part of why your girls are so lucky."

"Emmett…" Glynda said gently.

"I hate that things have to be this way in my family, I really do." Emmett sighed heavily as he picked up his bag and made his way out the door. "We'll talk later, okay?"

Making his way out quickly, Glynda knew from his look that he wasn't just talking about her and James. He was talking about their meeting with Ozpin set for January 2nd. Emmeline and Emmett both claimed to have an idea of what actually happened to his sister. But if any of them were being honest, none of them wanted to know the answer to that.


	20. Settle Down

**_January 2nd_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_1:45 PM_**

"Glynda, seriously, how many other psychotic, power hungry bitches do we know?" Emmett asked with a smirk as he leaned against Ozpin's desk. "I mean, Ash has always been power-hungry. Apart from her personal views of the world and of Jacques, her desire for control of the Schnee Dust Company was part of what caused them to not get along very well. She wanted control and he had it. I mean, now that I'm thinking about it, that's probably part of why he cut her loose from her job. Aside from her motions to protect the faunus, she was a threat."

"Yes, but do you honestly believe she was connected to Kahn?" Cristal snorted. "That's ridiculous."

Not knowing what to think about the situation, Glynda tried to keep herself neutral for the time being.

"And," She started slowly. "To answer your question, we know of plenty 'psychotic, power hungry bitches'. With that logic, you might as well be saying that Salem orchestrated the attacks."

"She has a point," Ozpin said as he shifted his weight to the other side while still holding his cane. "It could have been anybody."

"Ozpin, really," Emmeline looked at him irritably and with slight exasperation. "If anyone could have been involved in killing my father -"

"Emmeline," Ozpin said as gently as he could. "Are you sure you're not looking for more people to blame -"

She glared at him as she tried to keep her tone even. "I am not grief-stricken. Say whatever you want about me, but I'm more than capable of -"

"I wasn't saying that you are," He responded calmly as he worked to be the voice of reason. "But this has been a terrible ordeal for everyone that I'm sure -"

"If you say one thing about how -" She started angrily.

"Emmeline," Ozpin looked at her sharply and she stopped talking, instead opting to cross her arms. "I understand full well that your life has not been an easy one. You lost your father in a way that no one should have to, and, in recent years, you and your siblings have been quickly shoved into positions of power that you have little idea what to do with."

"Oz, I swear to god, if you are implying that you think I'm incompetent…" Trailing off as she groaned in anger, she glanced at Emmett, Cristal, and Glynda before turning back to Ozpin. "I get snide comments like that often enough as it is from various members on the defense council, not to mention -"

"Emily, please, calm down." Cristal said, eyeing her worriedly.

Tensing further even when Emmett laid a comforting hand on her shoulder, she continued to glare at Ozpin. "Listen, I may trust you and your judgement in quite the variety of things and have even pushed for things within the council through my colleagues based on information from within our group's informants. However," Emmeline narrowed her eyes. "I will not be accused of incompetence or stand for any implications that I -"

"Emmeline!" Ozpin said sharper than anyone had expected. "I did not say that you are incompetent. I think you are perfectly capable of handling the affairs expected of you. But, at the same time, my original point still stands!"

"But what happened is viewed as a strengthening reason for as to why the council finally authorized a full investigation into the Ashlynn Schnee case after months of doing nothing. The woman in the footage from a few weeks back looks suspiciously like her and it sounded enough like her to be suspect." Emmett reminded them pacing a little.

Emmeline sighed. "You can't blame Elizabeth or the council for the reaction to your sister's -"

"I know, I know," Emmett said as he wrapped his arms around her for a minute before holding her at arms-length. "I know that, and I'm not saying that I was being entirely rational. I lashed out and -"

"Lashed out is an understatement," Glynda commented, looking at Emmett with a critical eye. "You snapped at everyone in the room to act on then unconfirmed information."

"I made a mistake." Emmett conceded as he glanced over at Ozpin who sighed before continuing.

"This matter needs to be handled delicately," With a sharp look to Emmeline, Ozpin added. "Emmeline, please do not ask to take military action unless absolutely necessary."

"I wasn't planning on it," She informed him with a slightly haughty note to her voice.

Projecting some of the new information across the room with his scroll, Ozpin observed the most recent images that had been taken by people claiming that they saw a woman who matched Ashlynn's description. "If she really has been taken by and is working for Salem as you and Emmett suggested, then we must tread lightly. After all, if the Queen moves one of her pawns and we don't catch it soon enough...there could be a serious risk for disaster."

"And honestly, there's no guarantee that she's not actually dead," Cristal noted bitterly. "I've said it before, but I'll say it again: even if she is alive, she's not the same person. We aren't going to get our sister back either way."

"There's still consolation in knowing what happened to her." Emmett sighed, feeling irrational. "She's probably become something between a rotten psychopath who is only after power and a vengeful shrew, but I just want to know what happened to her. The family's a mess as it is and, as stupid as it sounds, I'm not going to just accept that she's dead without full confirmation -"

"Emmett, sweetheart, please," Emmeline took his hand and looked at him with sympathy but also annoyance. "I know what you're feeling, but you've got to focus. There is way too much going on right now both in your personal life and in the world."

Resignation seeping through him, Emmett nodded. "I'm sorry, I...I don't even know what I'm doing anymore."

* * *

**_January 8th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_6:31 AM_**

It was around six thirty in the morning. Unusually early for her, she knew, but even though she kept tossing and turning she couldn't fall back asleep. Eventually giving up when she realized that she couldn't win, the eleven-year-old Winter Schnee looked at her schedule on her scroll. She wasn't slated for lessons today with her tutors, but she did have training with Emmett. Despite the fact that her father had, for years, insisted that she not call him by his first name, she knew that he had found that too weird given how close in age they were when one considered it holistically. It was a little strange to think that she was closer in age to her uncle than she would ever be to any siblings, assuming that she didn't remain an only child forever. Pulling on her jeans and her sweater, Winter decided to roam the corridors for a while before breakfast at nine.

_Breakfast at nine, training with Emmett from eleven to three, etc, etc._ Winter thought as she relayed her schedule in her mind.

A part of her wished that she had friends to spend some of her copious free time with, but people were afraid of her. She tried to reason it away to being that she was always needed for something but saying that was a lie and she knew it. The closest thing she had to a friend was Emmett and he was family which, for most people, negated the possibility of that even when the ten years that set them apart was pushed aside. She wanted to be strong like he was. Seeing her mother less and less for as long as that shift had been happening made her want to fight. That was especially true because of how held back she felt by her father and his rules. One misstep at a company event could get her slapped or yelled at, and the same went for pretty much everything else too.

_I wonder if that was what Emmett meant when he said this family is 'fucked up'?_ She questioned as she continued her wandering.

She had asked her parents what the words 'fucked up' meant and she hadn't even gotten an explanation. Simply, both of them had sharply told her that such language is unbecoming of a woman of her status. Winter admitted, secretly, though that she was probably lucky not have gotten slapped. This was especially true because she overheard a little bit of a conversation that her father was having with Emmett about a week and a half or so later while mother was in the gardens. Her father wouldn't tell her why, but he didn't need to. She hated not being able to have anyone except Emmett to talk to about her feelings, because she didn't understand why her mother was always so distant. Just a few weeks ago she overheard her parents and Emmett arguing. Winter couldn't quite make out most of what was being said, but as she listened through the door outside her father's study she could hear Emmett angrily yelling at her father. They were both yelling, actually. She knew it had something to do with her mother but the part that stuck out sorely in her mind was that she had been dragged into the argument on Emmett's side.

_"You think that Winter isn't suffering? Do you even give a damn about your -"_

_"Emmett!" Willow yelled, scandalized._

_"Well, it's not as if I'm wrong -"_

_"You are more than wrong, Emmett!" Jacques snapped._

_"Well it's your job to raise her just as much as it is Willow's! You're her father, but sure as hell don't act like it!"_

_"That's enough -" Willow interjected._

_"I am doing what I can to keep this family where it is –" Jacques went on._

_"Is that so?"_

_"You act as if -" Willow started._

_"I don't need to listen to a damn thing you say!" Jacques snarled at Emmett._

_"Well someone needs to show you that you aren't in charge of everything, that there is more to -"_

_"Are you really trying to lecture me? Of all people, you? You're a huntsman and a shadow of what you could have been. Where are you going, for real, Emmett?"_

Winter paused and glanced out the window. She shook herself out but couldn't stop her uncle's words from coming back to her mind.

_If you stand for nothing, like your father, then I can't even begin to imagine what you might fall for._

* * *

**_January 12th_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_12:34 AM_**

Pace after pace. Piece after piece. She felt more powerful than ever. The last few days of her training had been going well. Salem had not lost her temper and she had actually been pleased a few times. Things were looking up, at least for her. Her Dust manipulation was going very well and her powers from her semblance were looking to be better. She was slowly becoming a powerful woman with a powerful lineage; of course, her lineage didn't matter that much now. She was a Fall, the first and likely the only one in her 'dynasty' as Jacques would put it. That man was a piece of shit, in her opinion. Her reasoning for this was simple.

The man not only took the company that, as she was older than Willow by half an hour, was rightfully hers but he cut her loose from her high-profile job there because she was defending her beliefs. The faunus were not any different than humans except for the fact that they genetically have animal traits and it was absurd that Jacques was one of the few people still unable to see that. What pissed her off about Willow's relationship with her husband was that it meant that her sister was falling further and further down the rabbit hole. Reminding herself that Willow was weak, she shook that off and focused on her anger towards Jacques. She had deserved to be the one to inherit the Schnee Dust Company. It was her birthright, after all.

The Schnee name meant a lot of things and one of them entailed influence amongst the kingdoms and, of course, the Atlesian council. Having lost her birthright to a man who had just happened to waltz right in at the right time and snap up her sister was not something she took lightly, and she would kill him herself if it wouldn't anger the Queen. In short, it was all ridiculous. She was lucky that she wasn't at high risk right now even in spite of her encounter with Emmeline and Emmett. Though she knew that her reasoning to suggest that the council wouldn't listen to a fearless military leader was sound, she also knew that Ciel's word carried weight no matter what she was saying. If it was convincing enough, there might be suspicions especially in light of the investigation into the disappearance of Ashlynn Schnee.

Like it or not, though, Ashlynn Schnee was dead in every sense except for biological. Cinder knew that she was clever and an excellent manipulator. Her newfound strength in fighting just happened to be an added bonus. Though she knew that she hadn't taken some things into account when she made her attack on Edward Ciel alongside Kahn and those White Fang goons, she was still talented enough to not get caught or found guilty for it. The only problem that struck her hard when it occurred to her was the fact that if she had been found on the crime scene, injured badly, or arrested that she would be DNA tested. The problem with that was simple but carried a dangerous weight. Her DNA would declare her to be Ashlynn Cinder Schnee. That was, possibly, going to be her only long-term problem. After all, the chances of someone remembering her appearance or voice in between ten or twenty years from now were astronomically slim.

"Cinder!" Salem stood in the doorway with a hint of annoyance in her voice. "We must discuss something that has recently been brought to my attention that concerns you."

"What is it?" Cinder asked as she turned around to face the Queen, no fear in her face or voice this time around. Only confidence, for the time being anyway.

Salem pursed her lips and paused before narrowing her gaze. "Ozpin and his allies are…bringing you back around to their...conversations."

"What?" She said, slight fear rising in her voice.

"Are you clueless!" Salem snapped, slapping Cinder hard across her face. "The Ciels and Emmett Schnee are convinced that you are alive!"

"Haven't they always thought that?" Cinder reminded her, hoping not to evoke further anger.

"Yes," Salem stated, drawing out the simple answer. "But they have told Ozpin and…well whatever that blonde one's name is."

"Glynda?" Cinder remembered her all too well and tried to keep the cap on her emotions, this time succeeding.

"I suppose, not that it really matters to me right now," Salem sighed. "Listen to me: I am sending you back to Mistral. It is just for a few days, and you are going to meet with our puppet, Lionheart. If all goes well, he'll convince the other members of the group to back down."

"I can do that," Cinder nodded as she moved to pack her bags.

"Oh, and Cinder," Salem said as she began to leave. "Do make sure to keep yourself in check. After all, we can't afford any...slip ups."

Before Cinder could respond, the Queen had left, and she needed to finish packing in a hurry. No one, no matter who they were or thought they were, messed with the Queen or defied her orders. Not if they wanted to live. And especially not if the Queen was the reason they were becoming steadily more powerful.


	21. The Second Page

**_January 17th_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_1:58 PM_**

"I cannot believe I am saying this," Rose said, slamming a fist down on Ozpin's desk while the man cringed. "But we need at least some special operatives besides James in Vale to handle this situation. Ashlynn Schnee and Dean Carson are, even more so now considering the amount of times we've seen them together or have gotten proof of such, clearly in the same evil vein. Cinder Fall and Roman Torchwick, they call themselves. Do you remember the recording Emmett obtained not too long ago? Something needs to be done and it needs to be done quickly."

"Rose, please calm down." Ozpin said, standing up to his full height which was considerably higher than hers. "I understand that this situation is difficult, but responding directly –"

"I agree with Rose," Cristal gently set a hand to his shoulder. "Something needs to be done. This isn't something that can be handled lightly."

"Of course you think that," Qrow muttered. "You're Atlesian through and through."

"She's not wrong," Glynda sent him a slightly disdainful look. "The situation is suspicious enough as it is."

"So, you of all people you want to use force?" Qrow asked with a slight smirk to Glynda who glared at him in response. "What? Don't get mad at me 'cause I'm right."

"I'm saying that we need to handle this situation," Glynda snapped. "And if that involves using force, then yes, I am supportive of that."

"Is it really the best course of action to bring...to bring more Atlas military personnel in Vale?" Leonardo asked, trying very hard not to fidget. "It sounds dangerous and I don't –"

"Leo, are you or are you not in the Atlas military?" Emmeline asked with a raised eyebrow. "Because you are not, unless of course I am unaware of –"

"I just thought that it would be –" He protested.

"I am the one with the military experience," She almost haughtily reminded him. "And frankly I –"

"Are you trying to use your status against –" He questioned.

"I am merely pointing out a simple –" She snapped.

"Emily!" Cristal sent her a pointed look. "This isn't going to get us anywhere."

She sighed but Emmett sent Leonardo a dark glare.

"There's enough going on without you trying to meddle in Atlas," He eventually said. "If you think that shit's not getting worse then you're –"

"Emmett!" Ozpin cut across his brother in law sharply. "Do mind your language!"

"He –" Emmett protested.

"I am not condoning what he said but you need to express self-control!" Ozpin snapped. "As for you, Leo, please do not make suggestions for Emmeline is to do her job!"

Leonardo nodded in assent though the fear was more than clear in his eyes. Qrow took a long drink from his flask while James crossed his arms and leaned against the wall. Glynda retained her death grip on her crop and glared at everyone and Rose restrained herself from attempting murder on Leo. Emmeline appeared ready to collapse from equal parts of exhaustion and stress and, in response, Emmett took her tightly into his arms and leaned her head onto his shoulder with his calloused hands rubbing her back lovingly. Her long hair was down for once and his fingers quickly made their way into it, gently untangling the small bits that were a mess.

Ozpin sighed heavily, unable to comprehend what his next option was, and he was struggling to deal with the mess of people that he had brought into the fight against Salem. He was worried for his wife, even more so now she was with child. He feared for both her and their baby. Almost in the blink of an eye, the fight was becoming personal for Emmett while Rose had personal demons to fight aside from the ones right in front of her. Leo was nervous about everything and therefore a little shifty. Emmeline had been growing increasingly testy. That was just scratching the surface with the issues that the group was faced with. It almost seemed like internal discord was more difficult than dealing with Salem.

"Emmeline Cecilia Ciel," Emmett whispered, still holding her close and treading through her hair. "This doesn't matter. I've got you and I'm never letting you go. We work together to make things turn out and they have. It's alright."

"It's all just so…so fucking complicated…" Emmeline muttered though she felt some relief at his hands still steadily moving against her back. "So fucking complicated."

"Hey," Emmett said, cupping her face in his hands. "I promised that I love you piece by piece and I still stand by that promise. I always will."

"Emmett –" She started.

He kissed her gently. "It's going to be okay…" He murmured.

"That was very improper, Emmett." She chastised though she was smiling. "Are you even listening?"

"I'm always listening to you, sweetheart, I promise." Emmett said, swiftly kissing her again and she didn't protest. "But it shouldn't matter if we're improper."

"Emmett Schnee!" Emmeline's tone was sharp even though she was nuzzling his neck with her head.

"Hey...listen, I love you and I don't think there's anything wrong with showing it," Emmett brought her as close as possible. "You're my queen and I want everyone to know that I love you. I put you first. Everyone else is second."

"But there's still one thing that we have to take into account…" Emmeline murmured.

"What's that?" Emmett asked in concern. "Emmy?"

"When the first shots are fired…" Emmeline Ciel took in a deep breath before finishing. "Who do you think you can trust?"

* * *

**_January 21st_**

**_Haven Academy_**

**_City Of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_9:21 PM_**

It was going to be several more days of this, wasn't it? Salem had delayed her leaving until the seventeenth, which had meant that she had only arrived in Mistral three days ago and of course now she was going to be here for as long as the Queen saw fit. Dealing with Lionheart was getting on her last nerve and she was only a few days into it. Yes, she knew that it was important for her to ensure that he stayed allied with herself and Salem, but it was obnoxious how he was only doing this out of fear. Fear of all the things that a person could work for Salem for. It pissed her off and she decided that he wasn't just afraid, he was weak. A reasonably capable huntsman, but not much more than that. He bent to Salem's will out of the fear of her wrath.

Cinder didn't bend, at least, that's what she told herself. It was an exchange. A business deal between her and Salem. Salem trained her and taught her how to use her pre existing powers and would, eventually, ensure that she obtained even greater power while Cinder in turn gave her loyalty. That was a simple price to pay. She chose to forget that reason she was involved with Salem in the first place was because she didn't want to die. She also chose to forget that she was sometimes afraid of Salem and that the last thing she wanted was to unleash the full wrath of the Queen. Cinder declared herself to be strong, a natural born leader who deserved power in spite of being brushed aside by people for years.

She was going to have to go and have her talk with Lionheart for the day soon enough. She was currently staying in one of the dorms of Haven Academy under the guise of a temporary exchange student in her fourth and last year from Beacon Academy in Vale. Her grey contacts and sleekly pulled back black hair had been working wonders. Everyone assumed that she was who she claimed to be. No one suspected that she was the missing and/or dead Atlesian woman by the name of Ashlynn Schnee. Even Lionheart didn't know who she was, or at least who she had been born as. It was finally setting in that she was no longer that woman, and it felt good. She was a powerful woman of prodigious skill, not a weak woman who had a sob story past. Making her way to begin her meeting, she kept her gaze focused straight away and avoided engaging anyone. She wasn't going to risk any 'slip ups' as Salem had put it.

"Come in," Lionheart said as she slowly began to open the door. As soon as it was closed behind her, she moved towards his desk and analyzed him for a minute as Salem had taught her to. Fear was all she could see.

"Have you asked Ozpin and the others to give up on finding Schnee?" She asked, her face not betraying who that she was talking about herself.

"I have suggested it…" Lionheart quaked slightly as her eyes flared. "But the Ciels and Emmett will not stand down. Even Glynda -"

"What was it that the Queen sent me here for you to do on her orders?" Cinder demanded though he didn't answer. "Well?"

He flinched. "I understand...and I know that she isn't pleased -"

"You're right," She confirmed. "Salem isn't pleased at all."

"Why is it that you aren't afraid of using her name?" Lionheart asked, glancing around nervously.

Cinder laughed in a dry way similar to Salem's. "Oh Leonardo, don't you understand. Fear isn't getting you anywhere. You're paralyzed."

He bit his lip. "I am -"

"A coward, " Cinder responded simply. "A coward because you did not choose to join our side and supply us with information out of any solid reasoning. You did so out of fear."

"I...I…" He stuttered.

"Stop them from investigating further," Cinder snapped. "Salem ordered it and you and I both know that she does not take it well when a servant doesn't do their job."

"What about Ozpin?" He asked nervously.

"Ozpin? You're joking, right?" Cinder laughed again, almost finding amusement in the situation. "What is about Ozpin that is so special? He's never going to win."

"What if he does?" Another flash of fear crossed his face and the seer in the corner got up.

"Coward," Salem declared through the seer. "Cinder is most certainly right in that regard."

"Your Grace -" He started.

"Save it," Salem snapped. "Ozpin is not going to win. Oh, he can try but that doesn't mean that he'll succeed. I have defeated him before and I will have no difficulty doing it again."

"He has...powerful allies…" Lionheart choked out, fear petrifying him as the seer moved closer. "He's got some of the most skilled huntsman and huntresses on his side. He has General Ciel, Emmett Schnee, Glynda Goodwitch, and it wouldn't shock me -"

"Have you ever even seen them fight?" Salem asked.

"At the Vytal Festival...if Ozpin was to bring in Team JGED's other members…especially James Ironwood, they'd be -"

"Shut up!" Salem snapped once again, her anger starting to show through. "You could name any talented fighter and I would tell you the same thing. Mankind can fight, but they will burn."

"Your Grace -" Lionheart tried again.

"She's right, Leonardo," Cinder told him, a false sense of pity glinting in her eyes. "You need to influence them and, more importantly, supply us with information."

The seer moved closer to Lionheart and, as he shrunk back in fear, extended its tentacles more and more threateningly. Dissipating the threat of choking at the last second, Salem scoffed at him once again for his cowardice before relinquishing her connexions. Cinder glared at the man one last time for good measure before she turned quickly on her heel and left the room. It really just wasn't her day, was it? Dealing with a man so petrified by fear was bad enough, but the fact that part of her was screaming about how wrong it was what she was doing was even worse. After all, if it was getting her what she wanted, what she deserved, how bad was it in the end?

Don't the ends justify the means?

* * *

**_January 22nd_**

**_City Of Mantle_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:12 PM_**

Looking around the city of Mantle, Dean couldn't stop the feelings of deja vu that accompanied being back here for a mission. This time it wasn't clearing out grimm like the mission he had been on with his team had been. This was an investigation into the Schnee Dust Company. He was in the city center this time as well, which was another change of the scenery. It was so different from the city of Atlas. The shift in economic prosperity between the two cities was noticeable and shocking when one thought about it. In spite of the fact that various people had warned him to be careful here, he wasn't afraid. Having been born and raised in the poorest part of the city, he knew all of the things to watch for. Street smarts were not something that he had ever lacked. There were dangerous parts of the city that he had no intention of going to unless absolutely necessary, but it was also where he had grown up. He knew this city like the back of his hand.

What he was starting to learn, though, that made him angry was the fact that the Schnee Dust Company was taking advantage of the situation. He had never been fond of the company because of how wealthy it was in comparison to him and the way people around him as a child talked about the company certainly didn't bring about a positive view. The irony was that, in spite of his dislike of the Schnee family name, he became close friends with Emmett happened by accident. Back when Nicholas was still running the company and it still had ethics, the Schnees had been in the city and Emmett and Dean had run into each other by accident. They were seven years old at the time and spent several days hanging out together. Nicholas was so happy that his youngest was finally making friends that he agreed to bring Emmett into the city so that the boys could spend time together as friends. Furthermore, he brought Dean into the city of Atlas a few times to spend time with Emmett at their house. That changed when Jacques took over when Emmett and Dean were around thirteen. Things took a turn for the worst after that.

Anger towards Jacques was a mutual feeling between Emmett and Dean. For Dean he represented oppression, and for Emmett it was a personal war. The two of them had both viewed the man as a dick but, as the prior stated, for different reasons. Many of Dean's friends had left the city of Mantle once they reached adulthood to take jobs in the Schnee Dust Company because of the hope that they would get a chance at a new life. That didn't happen and a lot of people that he was close to felt like they had been taken advantage, which in fairness they had been. Even his parents thought that it would be a good idea and, shortly after he started at Atlas Academy with Emmett, Glynda, and James, they decided that they would try their luck. Shitty luck, as it happened, befell them and they died in a mining accident that same year.

As for Emmett, seeing what the man did to his sister and niece had been enough to draw his hatred. The marriage between Jacques and Willow had been arranged from the start by Nicholas who thought that Jacques would be a good match for his daughter. That went even further when he decided to pass the company onto him rather than his eldest, which had been his original plan. It took time, but, once Emmett got to be around fourteen, he decided that his dislike of Jacques was justified. At fourteen, Emmett had overheard a nasty fight between his sister and her husband and the moment he heard his sister get slapped was the same in which he felt that he had been proven to be correct. As Winter got older and more independent, Emmett then had to watch her get cut down by her own father for being willing to do what she wanted.

Of course, then there was Cristal. Dean had never cared much for her, considering that she had often been what he would call snotty to him. She had always eyed him suspiciously out of the corner of her eyes, even when she was reading or in the middle of something else. He had felt it to be a game of cat and mouse that he could never win. When she had married Ozpin, which was one of the few things he had gotten out of Emmett since their team disbanded, he hadn't been surprised. There was something about the twenty-nine year old headmaster of Beacon that bothered him, but he supposed that could be his own prejudice towards Cristal. Emmett had always been defensive of his sister, if aware of her shortcomings, but Dean believed he saw her for what she was: a bitter woman looking to put people like him behind bars.

He had been thrilled when he learned that she and Emmett had received next to nothing in their father's will.

Regardless, the family was fucked. Emmett was the last person that Dean blamed for any of it but he couldn't stop himself from feeling an immense anger towards the entire Schnee family as he walked past closed Dust shops that were wasting away or when he saw small children who had lost one or both of their parents to company accidents. It was not something he had thought to prepare himself for when he had taken the mission in his hometown. The wind continued to blow sharply through the streets, pricking at his exposed skin. As it blew, he pulled his hat further down his spiky, burnt orange hair to try and warm himself though it did little. There wasn't much that he was certain about being around here again, but it felt wrong. A sinking feeling filled him through his core and even though he tried to focus on his mission he couldn't. Suddenly stopping to let a small girl pass on his bike, he decided to slow down and take in his surroundings. It wasn't all dreary, though there was plenty of that. Several children were playing together and just seeing their happiness despite the gravity of the place was another call back to his childhood.

Sighing as he continued to walk past apartments and various other buildings squished together in the increasingly narrow streets, he let his mind and his gaze wander. He hadn't spoken to his sister in months and the few times they had spoken had been relatively impersonal. He hated his family, too, just as much as he hated this place. There was nostalgia here but at the same time he didn't want his childhood back. Then he didn't know how to fight. Now that he was older, he felt like he knew what he was doing, and he also felt like he was finally going somewhere. As he walked past the cemetery, he tried not to look very hard into it. He didn't want to think too hard about anything right now and visiting his parents was going to do that. Continuing to walk past the houses just in front of the cemetery, he paused in front of one particular house. It was squashed between a few others and was only one room, but he recognized it. That was his childhood home and it still had the yellow flowers growing in front that he remembered his mother had planted for hope. Not feeling guilty about taking one of them, he placed it gently in his coat pocket. Hope. They were going to need a lot of that hope to carry on.


	22. A Devil's Bargain

**_February 9th_**

**_Haven Academy_**

**_City Of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_8:45 PM_**

Continuing to walk around the grounds of Haven Academy after another talk with Leonardo, Cinder tried to appreciate her surroundings. It was the little things, she told herself, such as the way the mountains disappeared into the clouds, or how perfectly laid the stone stairs that lined the cobbled streets of the city that were beautiful. Mistral was slowly becoming her new favorite kingdom. She had not really thought about it much before, but now she saw things differently. For her, there was something that Mistral had that Atlas lacked. Part of it, she acknowledged, had to do with the fact that she was born and raised in Atlas, and taught how to be the highest of the highest by her mother. The other part had to do with the way she saw things now. Everything about Remnant seemed different, especially now that she believed herself to have her priorities and views in order. The enemies were mankind and Ozpin, while her priority was gaining power. And she was succeeding, strengthening every time she developed a new control or manipulation within her semblance or outside of it.

Culturally speaking, Atlas had only shifted towards an affinity towards individualism and the arts in recent years. It was a change that had started during the Great War, but it hadn't really come into prominence until about the last fifty some odd years. However, some things hadn't necessarily changed in the kingdom. The wealthiest families in Atlas, such as the Schnee and Adel families, were generally reclusive and viewed by everyone except for the council as virtual invincible. The most politically involved families, the primary example being the Ciel family, were seen as well-versed but that there was an obvious point where paranoia set in. Neither Emmeline or her father had bent to the Schnee or Adel families for any reason, and that was a common topic of discussion from her early twenties and Emmett's childhood. A simple conversation about profits could turn into a debate into the council. Although, this had different origins than the current reasons.

Nicholas had often liked to complain about the way the council went about handling situations and its reluctance. When Jansen had originally began her time on the council, Edward Ciel was a prominently rising leader. Nicholas hated him, likely for the fact that Ciel was, like his daughter who followed, was overly cautious. The council took that caution seriously, and it meant that several decisions regarding businesses, such as the Schnee Dust Company's growing influence or Merlot Industries attempts to move into the kingdom. That didn't mean that Atlas wasn't reasonably progressive, however. Atlas was the second kingdom after the Great War to legally make faunus and humans equal under the law, following just after Vale. Vacuo was the third, and Mistral was the last. Politics aside, Nicholas didn't live long enough to see what Jacques ended up doing to the company. He died shortly after Emmett turned fifteen and that was when it went to hell.

As for the Adel family, Corinne Adel was known for many things. At nineteen, she had started her fashion line and now, ten years later, she had been married, divorced, and had a one-year old daughter: Colette Corinne Adel, known by the media as Coco. Corinne was vastly successful, and it certainly helped the sympathy for her, publicly, that her parents had not supported her and now she was on top. Economically, Corinne was second in her personal wealth only to Schnee's. It was a constant pressure point of conflict. For example, Corinne's tendency to describe her rival in a less than positive light while ignoring her own flaws. Her promiscuity was the prime target that people shot at. Surprisingly, she used it to her advantage and called herself a 'fuckable bitch' who just so happened to not care about anyone but her daughter.

At least she was open. Still, the primary point came back down to the fact that Atlas was Atlas and that most Atlesians couldn't care less about what people thought of them or their kingdom unless they were of the highest status in the society. Mistral was different. Things in Mistral centered around the two classes: the wealthy and everybody else. The classes were different in culture though both were vibrant. Class was even seen in the layout of the capital city. The higher up the mountain a building was situated, the wealthier the person who owned it was. This was in contrast to the other kingdoms; classism existed in all of them, yes, but in different forms. Atlas and Vale were on about the same level in that regard and it wasn't surprising that in those kingdoms there were more blurry divisions. Vacuo had royalty and provinces still even though it was, technically, fully united but most people took class to be based off tribal circumstances or the unspoken rule of 'if you can survive here, you can live here.'

Besides, some of the most acknowledged names in Remnant were losing their luster. Schnee, for instance, she thought bitterly although some happiness stemmed from the lessening of the family name. The greyer the deals that Jacques was making that spun more and more profits were bringing not only scrutiny by the media but by the Atlesian council as well. The minute the lines were crossed too far would be the same in which Atlesian council would begin to investigate even further and, not only that, potentially restrict the company further than preventing it from being a full monopoly. Of course, ethics were the primary concern.

The Atlesian news media had taken to, rightfully in the minds of most, beginning its crucifixion of the company's treatment of the faunus and of course the way the company handled the White Fang. Things were igniting, changes arising and that went for all of the kingdoms. Atlas, Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo were all aligning themselves to the new tensions that were slowly rising. For the leaders, new enemies were arising while discord continued internationally. Questions were being asked and some of them had no answer. Others had the answers that no one wanted to hear. But most of all, there was her: an amber eyed woman who was going after power. Power that she believed to be her birthright. In some ways, that was even more of a threat than the creatures of grimm.

* * *

**_March 5th_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_5:12 PM_**

Ozpin sighed as he watched the chaos unfold in the room. Leonardo had made the suggestion that the investigation into Ashlynn Schnee be closed and both Ciel and Emmett had gotten incredibly irritated at the request. It wasn't all that surprising given the obvious differences between them but, this time, it was worse. He was sure that the Leo knew that the things he was throwing at her and Cristal were all things they had heard before from the council or at work, but he could imagine that wouldn't make this any better. It could have been very bad if things hadn't been reasonably monitored by Glynda, though her blasting Emmett away from Leo with her semblance was dangerously close to causing a brawl. Ciel was first, telling him that it was not in his place to question an investigation being done by the Atlesian council.

This was followed by Leo insisting that the footage could have been faked and that, more importantly, Ciel was losing her grip as a result of persisting trauma from both the attempt and what happened to her father. Emmett then restrained her from punching him before telling Leo that there was no point in arguing about something that he wasn't going to get to change. After that, Leo declared that the Atlesian council was wasting its time on a wild goose chase for a dead woman. Glynda was glaring at all of them in irritation as she tightened her handle on her crop. Her arms were crossed while, every time she started pacing, her cape fluttered behind her quickly. Though he was still observing the situation to deal with it in case the discord grew into a full-on brawl, Ozpin allowed his thoughts to wander. The unfortunate thing was that it wasn't too long before he was drawn out of his mind and back to reality.

"Emmeline…" Leonardo said slowly. "I don't mean to...to imply that you are mad -"

"Leo, you aren't implying anything," Ciel was clenching her fists while Emmett retained a light grasp on her wrists to keep her from hurting him. "You just said that I'm a paranoid and delusional woman who shouldn't be in her position."

He bit his lip. "But…"

"She's right," Emmett told him, anger written all throughout his tone. "And that's not to mention the completely sexist comment you said about why Atlas would allow a woman like her to be a high-ranking military leader."

"I didn't...I didn't mean that in that way." Leo said. That was, more or less, the truth but what he said had been one of the things that the Queen had insisted he say.

"That's exactly how you meant it!" Glynda snapped at him, swinging her crop in annoyance. "It's completely ridiculous, not to mention out of place!"

Lionheart shrunk back a little bit in fear as Ozpin stood up. "They're right, Leo." In spite of everything, Ozpin was calm. "Now...the maidens."

Cristal, out of nervous habit, began to adjust her glasses although she swore upon icing one of the lenses over.

"That's resolved, I'll say –" Emmeline started.

"Emmy, not now." Emmett said, trying to restrain himself from finishing her thought. "Please?"

"Let's get back on track," Ozpin suggested, wrapping an arm protectively around his wife. "I know that we certain sure where the Fall, Spring, or Summer maidens are but that doesn't mean that we don't have a basic idea. The last reports of a woman using powers akin to that of the Summer Maiden was in the Mountain Glenn site a few weeks back to save a huntsman who had been there. As for Fall, we know that Salem has wanted to get a fall maiden on her side for years. I would not be surprised if Salem has her, though we don't know that for sure. And in regard to the Spring Maiden...I believe the last we heard she was in Mistral."

* * *

**_March 20th_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council_**

**_Atlas Senate_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Security Level: High_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Senate Security Clearance_**

**_2:51 PM_**

"The chair of this defense committee now recognizes Senator Ciel of the intelligence committee."

Murmurs began to hum throughout the room, as they often did. Ronnie Ciel could feel all of his colleagues eyeing him closely and he was more than a little uncomfortable to see, fully, Admiral Winchester sitting in the front row of the senate with Elizabeth Morell and her assistant, Karissa Mar, who was still dutifully taking notes of everything going on around them. Since both the attacks from the year prior and some of the concerns raised in the last few months following the Dean Carson incident, both the lower and upper chambers of the Atlesian legislature had been trying to force through legislation that would increase security and defense spending. Those two things Ronnie believed to be necessary.

What he did not want was for the bill being debated on the senate floor at that very moment to pass.

In short, it was designed to allow the Department of Justice and/or the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action to scrutinize senators and representatives for corruption. That meant anything from taking money from leaders of other nations to outright conspiracy. With the work he was doing in Vacuo, he could not allow that to happen. He would be forced out of his position so fast that his head would spin and he knew that, afterwards, he would likely end up behind bars. Admiral Winchester may have come to the senate that day to plead the case for the bill and Ronnie knew he had convinced some of his colleagues whom had been unsure. It drove him mad that the admiral had chosen Elizabeth Morell to present the case with him, but he knew it was strategical. Morell was a woman, amongst other things, and she was quick on her feet.

Ronnie Ciel, however, believed himself to be quicker.

He stepped forward.

"Thank you, Mister Morghan," Ronnie said, inclining his head briefly towards the man before turning to his fellow senators and the admiral and Morell. "My fellow senators," He began calmly. "I have done everything in my power to stop this bill from passing. I have begged, I have pleaded, and even bribed."

"Excuse me?" Elizabeth Morell stared at him, but it seemed the others had not heard him or believed he had misspoken.

She knew better. She had heard him right the first time and she now believed he was just as bad as Rebecca Neale.

"But, as that has been wildly ineffective," Ronnie went on. "I have been left with no choice. Please prepare yourselves for a filibuster."

"Senator Ciel, do you not understand the gravity of the situation?" Winchester asked, annoyed by his apparent lack of understanding. "Senator Ciel?"

Ronnie did not respond but met his outraged gaze and the plain, irritable look of Elizabeth Morell and the shock of Karissa Mar. He looked on at his colleagues steely and waited for the chair of the committee to speak.

"Senator Ciel," Morghan said calmly. "In order to filibuster you cannot eat, sleep, drink, use the facilities, or stop talking. Are you prepared to do so?"

Ronnie nodded and lugged a rather large dictionary off of a nearby table.

"I am prepared," He informed him. "As are my colleagues."

Seven other senators stood up and joined Ronnie on the senate floor, much to the chagrin of Winchester and the committee.

C-SPAN was going to have a field day filming and commentating on this.

"A," Ronnie started, opening to the very first definition page of the dictionary. "A superscript one. Noun. Plural: A parentheses s or A apostrophe s. First definition: the first letter of the alphabet. Denoting the first in a set of items, categories, sizes, etc. Denoting the first of two or more hypothetical people or things: example, A had killed B. The highest class of academic mark. In Vale: denoting the most important category of road, other than a motorway: example, the A34 or the busy A-Roads. Denoting the highest-earning socio-economic category for marketing purposes, including the top management and senior professional personnel."

It was not fallacious to say this went on for some time. It was not until he reached the start of the C category that he allowed one of his colleagues to continue reading. The entire room seemed exasperated, many of the other senators looked exhausted or even half-asleep, and Elizabeth Morell had ordered her assistant to stop recording and taking notes. This would not be a valuable transcript, it seemed. Admiral Winchester looked as if he were ready to begin tearing out the hair that he still had left, and Morghan had taken on the appearance of a rather disgruntled bear. They could not believe what was really happening and it was dreadfully painful for everyone in the room. Hours passed and blurred into each other until, finally, Morghan stood up and smacked his desk to draw the attention away from the filibuster. The unfortunate truth was that it lasted twenty-five hours before that happened and, by that point, several senators had fallen asleep and the eight running the filibuster were on their seventh round of switching through who was reading.

"Will the Senators please yield the floor?" He said, holding his head in exhaustion. "So that we might take a recess from this situation?"

"And perhaps bring forth something more substantial?" Another senator stood up, sounding almost pleading. "Things are getting more dangerous, and we know not yet what the end might be."

Ronnie shared a look with his colleagues and then nodded shortly. "This filibuster is now closed."

Morghan beat his gavel against the desk. "The Senate will now take its three-week summer recess. This bill will be returned to upon return in September."

Sighs of relief were heard throughout the chamber and a few senators groaned while they stood up to leave the chamber.

"Was that really necessary?" Elizabeth hissed in Ronnie's ear as he passed by them with a smirk. "You just set a new filibuster record and you've wasted all of our time and –"

"Never mind, Elizabeth," He said shortly. "Now, if you'll excuse me, I should like to go home and sleep so I can enjoy my holidays. Good day to you, Miss Morell."

He ignored the glares everyone in the room were giving him while he sauntered off of the senate floor.


	23. Smells Like Gasoline

**_March 29th_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council;_**

**_Department Of Foreign Affairs And Military Action;_**

**_City Of Atlas; Atlas_**

**_Security Level: High;_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Maximum_**

**_1:39 PM_**

"As...easily irritated as he can be," Morell said with a slight glance to LCDR Ciel. "Emmett Schnee was right to be angry about the situation with the Schnee Dust Company. What happened to Carson was one of the last things that should have been allowed. I may not be...pleased that you sent him information about –"

"I merely informed him that there would be consequences brought against the SDC," Emmeline said shortly, and Elizabeth nodded. "I asked a few members of the council dealing with fiscal affairs and corporations and they assured me that they were already getting to –"

"You ought to be able to do something!" Neale exclaimed. Ciel narrowed her eyes and shifted closer to the woman. "You probably are one of the most -"

"It is not within my power to apply consequences to the Schnee Dust Company as you ought to be aware," Emmeline snapped. "I believe you have mistaken me with someone else on this –"

"But –" She protested.

"I am not in the mood to deal with this," Emmeline said coolly. "I do not have the power nor the influence to change the way this matter is handled, which I am sure –"

"You are –" Neale argued.

"I know very well who I am, thank you very much." Ciel snapped, her patience long since worn thin.

The room was silent for a moment before Blake Adel looked to Ciel. Though it was obvious she was not going to be pleased to discuss it again, he deemed it necessary and began cautiously. "After the last meeting, you declared that you will be taking a leave absence from April through September –"

"This meeting is not about that," Elizabeth Morell said, glaring at him for bringing it up again and impatiently tapping her hand against the table. Karissa immediately began to take notes. "LCDR Ciel simply had to make that declaration as it is routine for a military officer, particularly a ranking officer, to take leave. If you have a problem or require something of me, please bring it up afterwards and not while we're supposed to be"

Blake shook his head. "I am sorry, but we need the Ciels to all be here even if they are still struggling with the death of their father –"

"That's enough," Admiral Winchester said with finality. "I am her superior and I approved it. This matter is closed, and I demand we return to the matter at hand!"

The room fell silent and stared at him in shock, for a moment, but Winchester's glare silenced the room in an instant. He had never been one to tolerate what he viewed as tomfoolery, and he was the last person any of them wanted to be on the wrong side of. It was not easy to do so, and that seemed to be especially true when it came to members of the security council. The younger members, in particular, were the ones he hated the most. Now, there was tension due to the fact that some were far too curious about everyone else's lives and there was more than a little bit of jealousy between a few of them. Legacies seemed to be the last thing that defined any of them, despite the fact that many of them had close family ties to politics, and that fact was prevalent in everything that they did and in everything many of them were.

A few wanted to argue Winchester's point, but even the most reckless amongst them knew that it wasn't the right time. Some, such as Morell, on the other hand, were content with shutting up as to not anger him further. There was little patience between senior members of the security council and the junior members of the security council.

Rebecca Neale knew that many of them had suspicions about her and didn't trust her in the slightest, but she also knew that they were unaware of her ties to Salem despite her awareness of some of their ties directly to Ozpin. Working for Salem was for her own preservation, but it was also for the pursuit of power. It didn't matter though, at this point. She had made her choice, after all. The fact that she had to follow orders was something that the others would in theory understand if she knew but, in practice, that wouldn't keep her out of jail. The minute any of the other members of the security council found out would be the same moment that she found herself before the Atlesian justice system for conspiracy to dismantle the council and the Atlesian constitution. In a sense, that would be true. The last thing Rebecca Neale wanted to find herself in that position especially because she knew what the Queen would do to her if that occurred. Even more threatening, however, was Cinder Fall - Schnee's missing sister. That was part of why she had been vehemently against the opening of the investigation.

The other reason was because Salem had told her to be.

Admiral Winchester continued to pace as he talked about things to do with the recently instituted restrictions on the Schnee Dust Company as well as what the Department Of Fiscal Affairs And Corporate Restriction was intending to do in response to the incident involving Dean Carson. The DFCACR needed the approval of the DFAMA to proceed any further in their action against the SDC. Once approval by the DFAMA was given, then the Department Of Local And National Law Enforcement would sign off on the final action and the restrictions would be officially law. As time had worn on and the company had grown to near the size of a monopoly, the DFCACR had pushed for and more restrictions and had, for the most part, gotten them. That was not to say that the SDC wasn't the largest producer and exporter of energy propellant in the world, but it did mean that it couldn't do whatever it wanted.

The point remained that it was often overlooked, but the DLNLE had always been harsh on the Schnee Dust Company, even when it was still getting started. Nicholas Schnee had, like Jacques on a much lower scale, been annoyed with the council for its restrictions that had been placed in later years. After Jacques took over the company, however, those restrictions increased based on his business practices and the growth of the company. It was not what Nicholas had intended to be by the time he died, and now it was far from where it started. The SDC was an excellent distraction, though. It was an easy way for Neale to not have to think much and still do what she had to serve Salem, which was not an easy task for anyone. There was one thing that she knew would be a challenge for Cinder. The woman was coming back into the kingdom soon enough, and when she did it was going to be to break a different ranking council member to pieces.

That council member was Elizabeth Lily Morell.

* * *

**_April 1st_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_5:13 PM_**

Emmett looked at Glynda in slight concern as she slammed the door behind them. "So, the girls are -"

"Fine, but can you keep it down?" She hissed, still not feeling particularly well. "I'm not feeling very patient today, so don't say that I didn't warn you."

"You're never all that patient," Emmett pointed out as James wrapped a loving arm around his wife. "Though I don't think that was really a trait of anyone on our team."

"You've got that right," She muttered.

Further concern crept into Emmett's mind as a result of her tone. "Are you alright?"

James and Glynda shared a look before he pulled her in briefly. She took a deep breath for a moment before looking at her former teammate hesitant look.

"No, I'm not," She said, after a moment. "I'm very worried about the girls, especially since Ivy's been sick."

Emmett looked at them in horror. "Are they going to be alright –"

"Yes, but…" Her voice was unusually soft. "I'm sorry, I'm just worried. It's been difficult to give them medicine, too, and…"

"It'll be fine," James reassured her, bringing her into him tightly. "That's what the doctor said, wasn't it?"

"I know, I know," She said, pausing for a moment and then shaking her head. "But I'm not going to deny that I'm scared."

"Any parent would be," Emmett said gently while the three of them sat down at the bar-style overhang from the peninsula in their tiny kitchen. "I'd be worried if it were my kid, too."

"It's different, Emmett," James shook his head. "You don't have kids."

Emmett sighed. "You know I care for your girls."

"Emmett, I'm sorry if I'm being short with you but I cannot help it right now," She paused upon hearing her eldest begin to cry in her room. "I'll be back in a few minutes."

Neither of the two teammates spoke while she stepped out of the room to soothe her daughter.

"Emmett, if you ever have kids, you'll understand what I mean," James finally said. "I worry about them constantly, even when I'm at work and I know Glynda gets the same way when she's out and I'm with them. I'm sure Cristal and Ozpin will be able to tell you the same thing after their baby is born in July."

Emmett bit his lip. "I know it's just…"

"I don't blame you," James told him. "It's just difficult, you know?"

He fell silent and then nervously fidgeted with his glasses.

"You know," He said lightly. "You and Glynda never did tell me what you would have named a boy. You two were pretty tight lipped until you found out you were having twin girls."

James chuckled. "Now that you're mentioning it, you're right. We never did tell you, did we?"

"So, what did you end up agreeing on?" Genuine curiosity was piqued through his voice. "Please don't tell me you were going to name your son Emmett James."

He had the misfortune of saying that just as Glynda came back into the room with the elder of her six-month old daughters in her arms, who still crying a little.

"Hell no!" Glynda exclaimed, annoyed by the idea. "Oh god, no, that would be a crime."

"I have to agree with that," James said, looking to her in concern while she gently patted their daughter's back. "That sounds terrible, almost as if we'd be trying to punish the kid."

"We decided on Alender Brandon," Glynda told him. "And," Off Emmett's look of surprise, she sent him a meaningful look before continuing. "We'd have called him Allen or Al for short."

"That's pretty cute, actually." Emmett admitted with a smile. "Yeah, see, names would probably be the last thing Emmeline and I would be talking about," He sighed, glancing at his scroll upon receiving a new message from her, which was short at best. "I'd be willing to bet that the council's favorite thing to do would be to give her hell about being with me and having my kid, whether we were married or not."

James sighed. "I wouldn't be surprised."

"So, I guess I'm not the only one she's complained to about the Council, huh?" Emmett said, knowing full well that Emmeline thought very highly of James which was, in part, why she didn't fight his request for orders to Vale. "Not that I'm surprised, I mean, it's not as if she's got a lot of people that she can complain to about this, especially considering that Ronnie is one of the ones that annoys her the most."

"It doesn't really seem to have a lot of people who are truly on her side," James noted, which Emmett nodded in agreement with. "That seems to be especially true with Ronnie."

"Ronnie," Glynda muttered. "He's always been a pain in the ass, hasn't he?"

Emmett began to respond but smirked when he read Emmeline's next message. "Hey, James? Emmy says she wants you to meet us at Beacon Tower in a few weeks."

"There is no way that says that!" Glynda said as she took his scroll from him and her eyes widened in surprise when she realized that it was true. Narrowing her eyes as she handed him back his scroll, she adjusted her glasses before responding. "Maybe I shouldn't doubt you so much, but it says that Ozpin was the one who told her to ask that. Why would Ozpin -"

"Why does Oz do anything?" Emmett pointed out with a shrug as he turned to James. "Anyway, if Oz wants you there then there's probably a good reason for it. Well, at least now you'll understand why Glynda's moody once a month."

"Oh, that is not even funny!" She exclaimed, restraining herself from slapping him. "That's a terrible joke and you know it!"

"Fine," Emmett said with a smirk. "If it doesn't match with your period then I guess James has to deal with that twice a month!"

"I am going to kill you!" She glared though they all knew that she didn't mean what she said.

"Just like you've always wanted?" Emmett asked sarcastically.

"Sure, if you want to think of it that way." She responded in equal sarcasm. "But let's not find out how you die today."

Emmett laughed. "See? This is why we were the best team at Atlas Academy in our year."

"Let's leave it at that," James said with a chuckle. "All things considered."

* * *

**_March 31st_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_3:12 AM_**

The mirror glared at Cinder as she stood in front of it, waiting for the hell and torture that Salem was about to inflict on her with it. The Queen justified her use of the mirror as a continued test of strength for her protege, but even Cinder knew that it was a way of punishing her for her failures. Looking into the currently normal mirror, she scowled at what she saw. Her amber eyes were unusually dull while her hair was slightly greasy, and her makeup was off center and smeared in some places. Her dress had a few spots that had stains from her failures with dust that had gone wrong and she knew full well that her heels were slightly cracked. Her dull eyes had the hints of fear that she recalled from childhood and her hands tensed as Salem sent the seer into the mirror and the image changed from her reflection to the Schnee family manor where she had grown up. Specifically, the image cleared to Jacques and Willow in their room.

"...Put down the wine," Jacques told her, slight concern on his face that even she knew was genuine. "...Willow, you've got to stop this."

She swayed as she tightened her grip on her drink and tried to hold her confidence. "...What? You think that I -"

"...You're only hurting yourself and our family!" He snapped. "...This isn't doing us any good - do you think that your own daughter would be avoiding you if that wasn't the case?"

"...Winter is different!" Willow insisted. "...She's got a lot on her mind right now and it doesn't help that you don't give a damn about her!"

"...That's not true!"

"...Yes, it is!" Willow shouted while she dropped the glass in anger as her eyes swelled and her composure continued to shift. "...We both know it! You told her that another child will take her place if she pursues a career as a huntress!"

"...I only told her that to make her see what she needed to!" Jacques fired back. "...She thinks that running off is the best way to handle things and it is only going to weaken the family further!"

"...Well it's done the opposite of that! It's only strengthened her resolve!"

"...No doubt your brother played a part in that!"

"...Emmett does what he thinks is right even when no one else agrees!"

"...Why can't you see that he's dividing us?"

"...Why can't you see that he's happy and that we shouldn't drag him down? He's finally getting over the loss of Ashlynn. I mean -"

"...I know, but nevertheless –"

"...For heaven's sake, he's happy and I -"

Jacques slapped Willow both to her shock and Cinder's. Tears of anger and some residual sadness formed in her eyes as she watched her sister look up in disbelief. Forcing herself to look but not listen very intently to what was being said, Cinder tried to feel nothing. For the most part, she did succeed in this. Her anger was written off to Willow not fighting back rather to Jacques for hurting her twin. The sadness was then written off to be an umbrella feeling; that is, to say, she would feel genuine sympathy for anyone in that situation. She allowed her hatred for the kingdom that she had once called home and the family she had once called her own to overcome her and she even let herself smile as she watched Willow be left alone and collapse onto the floor in tears. Salem clicked her heels in approval as she dismissed the seer and the reflection in the mirror returned to Cinder's own. Unable to look at herself, the young woman turned to face the Queen.

"Very, very good." Salem said, placing a hand on Cinder's shoulder. "See, this? This is what I want of you. You are focusing on your goal - gaining power - and not letting the little people you once had ties to get in your way." Forcing her apprentice to look back towards the mirror, Salem held her and narrowed her eyes when she realized that the young woman was staring at her feet. "Look up," She commanded. "You are the girl who wants power, so look at yourself - damn it!"

Cinder did what she was told and stared at her appearance. Wiping some dust off the mirror, she noticed her eyes flare and the way that everything about her seemed different. Part of her was confused for the briefest of moments before she realized what was going down and decided that she didn't like it.

_Is this...is this me? This is my reflection, isn't it? So…it has to be me? But then why...why do I not quite recognize this girl? My reflection seems to show me, but it also doesn't. What's going on? What the hell is wrong with me?_

"Speak," Salem commanded. "Tell me exactly what you are thinking."

Cinder hesitated and her eyes grew wide. "I feel almost like I don't know who I am. There's a part of me that...that doesn't recognize my reflection."

"Well," The Queen said as she circled the young woman. "That must change. Whatever part of you isn't recognizing your reflection needs to die. It is a sacrifice that must be made for your power, I'm sure you understand."

"I do, " Cinder said, rubbing her arm. "But...how do we kill this, this part of me?"

A laugh escaped Salem which was a rare and usually dangerous occurrence. "Oh, Cinder, my dear. I do forget how young you are sometimes. It is going to take time, but the smallest part of Ashlynn Schnee that lingers will be killed. And you will be the one to do it."

Fear swept across her for the briefest of moments and she was kicking herself for that. Fear was part of what made her weak. "Tell me how."

Salem smiled. "In that case," She said, summoning the seer back and pushing it into the mirror. "Let's begin."

The image changed to the past - to her childhood.

This was going to be the beginning of the end, wasn't it?

* * *

**_April 5th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:32 PM_**

Having been released from the hospital and declared well again a few weeks earlier, Dean had taken advantage of his newly granted freedom by going to Vale. He hadn't told Glynda and James that he was in town, not because he didn't want to see them but because he didn't want to risk running into Emmett or Emmeline, who had supposedly taken a personal leave of absence. Admittedly, he had chosen to leave Atlas for the time being because he was struggling to deal with the way things were turning out for his former partner, teammate, and lover. Entering a bar, he sighed and ordered himself copious amounts of whisky and proceeded to attempt to drown his feelings in the alcohol. For a while, this worked but, as soon as a black-haired boy with red eyes and a scythe walked in, it was all over.

"So, seems like we're seeing a lotta you Atlas people in town, huh?" He said as he joined him. Dean sighed in recognition of him. Qrow, one of the members of the team they had fought in the Vytal festival.

"Yeah," Dean said as he took down another gulp of his drink. "Aren't you a little young to be drinking?"

"We're the same age and have both graduated from one of the academies. Don't start actin' like my parents," Qrow responded as he took a shot. "I remember you, by the way. You're the redhead who was on a team with Glynda and Emmett."

He raised an eyebrow in surprise. "You remember that?"

"Well I have to work with them sometimes because I help out Oz," Qrow shrugged in spite of Dean's confusion. "I'm a little scared of Glynda if I'm going to be honest."

"I think I can understand that," Dean said, taking a shot. "What do you do with Oz?"

"Missions, mainly keeping him informed of Vale's grimm population," Qrow knew that he was being careful with the way he worded things. Revealing the circle was the last thing he wanted to do and what he said was not entirely untrue. "After what happened to Mountain Glenn, the council wants everyone who can to help out and that includes students with a high skill level, although I'm sure that means something different in Atlas than it does here."

Dean thought about that for a moment before responding. "Eh, I don't know. Things in Vale seem a lot less crazy than in Atlas."

"I can kinda see that," Qrow admitted, thinking about the most recent gossip associated with the kingdom of Atlas. "Like the political dynasties and the assassinations and the drama."

"No shit," Dean said, taking down another shot. "It's some of the craziest shit I've ever heard."

Qrow laughed. "I'm not even gonna argue with that, because it's true."

"Seventeen," He corrected, fighting back his anger. "But it's still off-putting to people like me."

"Something about this seems personal," Qrow noted based on Dean's countenance. "This got anything to do with you and Schnee? Were you and him in a relationship?"

"Okay, yes." Dean snapped, not bothering to hide his annoyance. "What is it to you?"

"Woah, calm down," Qrow took another shot himself before continuing. "I was just gonna say that you should never trust a Schnee."

"You've got that right," Dean muttered. "So, why don't you trust the Schnees?"

"You want one reason or multiple reasons?" Qrow asked with a smile. He could go on for hours about his dislike of the family.

Dean shrugged. "Why not all of them, I haven't got anywhere I need to be."

"Okay then," Qrow smirked as he took a shot. "Well, I'll admit that I've never really met any of them except for Emmett and I can tell you that he's not my favorite person though he seems better than the rest of them.

"They're the reason I've lost some people...close to me. Jacques is...well in my opinion a dick with a stick up his ass...which is one of the few things I agree with Emmett and Cristal on. I don't know for sure why he married Willow but if I had to bet...money and influence had a lot to do with it. Doesn't seem like the type that would marry for love.

"Honestly, it's pretty uncommon for that to happen. I mean, look at our society! But it still happens, I guess. Anyways, the man's a snake and I don't like it. I've heard the news about Willow these days and I honestly...well I can't help but feel bad for the poor woman. Supposedly she's got a bit of a drinking problem."

"Yes…" Dean tried to avoid letting his emotions get the best of him but the second he had heard that report a while back, he had wanted to kill Jacques. "I blame Jacques because it seems like he makes her life miserable."

"I'm not surprised," Qrow admitted. "Given the way Emmett talks about him and all. If I ever have to deal with the man, well, let's just say it probably wouldn't be pretty."

"I'd second you in a fight is it was us versus him and Emmett." Dean stated darkly. "Seriously man, I would."

"Good to know," Qrow smirked and Dean did so back.

It was nice having a chance to talk with someone who had an equal distaste for the Schnee's. At first, Dean had been upset about cutting off his relationship with Emmett because of the man's personal problems but now he was relieved. Looking back on his former teammate and friend, Dean couldn't help but see the flaws amongst all the things that he had found attractive about him. They were glaringly obvious and while he had passed his selfish views off as a desire to protect Emmett at first, he eventually acknowledged that they were what he really thought. Emmett was a diva, for lack of a better term, who knew right from wrong but struggled to realize that he was dragging people down because he was obsessive. The same went for Cristal, who he found to be vindictive. Emmett also didn't seem to know how to let go, which was too big a flaw for pretty much anyone to deal with. Dean wasn't going to deny that he was curious about how anyone dealt with them and their temperament, but he wasn't going to press it. It just wasn't worth it for a man that he didn't care about anymore or, at least, that's what he told himself.


	24. The False Halo

**_April 13th_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_6:13 PM_**

"Oh, good, Ironwood," Emmeline Ciel sighed as she paced and sent Ozpin a sharp look before turning back to the younger man. "I'm sure you're confused as to why I conveyed Ozpin's message for you to be here today. Hopefully This will be able to…shed light on that particular subject."

A moment passed in silence and Cristal looked caught somewhere between exhausted and nervous.

"I'm giving you permission to speak freely, James," Emmeline told him, leaning against Ozpin's desk and crossing her legs at the ankle. "What are you thinking?"

"I don't really understand what's going on here," James admitted looking at his wife for a brief second and then shifting his gaze back to his superior. "Am I supposed to?"

"Ozpin," She turned around to face him and scowled at him until he responded. "Explain. You were the one who wanted him to join the group."

Qrow snorted. "So, it was Oz who wanted him here. Just like Oz wanted you here Em."

Emmeline narrowed her eyes while Emmett, Glynda, and Cristal both turned to Qrow in shock.

"Alright," Emmeline started. "I hate being called 'Em' for one –"

Qrow rolled his eyes as he cut across her. "I'm sure you let Schnee call you that and –"

"Qrow!" Cristal snapped, glaring sharply at the younger man. "I seriously doubt that any of us want to hear this at all, let alone need to hear your input on the rest of our –"

Ozpin gently took her hand and she grudgingly relented.

"Ha," Qrow mouthed at her while she found herself fighting the vastly childish urge to stick out her tongue.

With a sigh, Ozpin stood up and Cristal forced herself to relax. "James, I assume you are familiar with the Story Of The Seasons?"

"Yes…" He said slowly, unsure as to where he was going.

Ozpin went on. "If I told you that it were true, how would you react?"

James tensed. "Is it true?"

That was the next logical question, although he couldn't believe that he was asking it.

"Yes," Ozpin said, glancing to Glynda who, if he were not mistaken, tensed herself.

For a moment, James didn't respond. It wasn't until he remembered what Glynda had said back in November. Unless you believe in fairytales, James, you're going to think that I've lost it. Now, he was sure he knew exactly what she had meant.

"So…" He started slowly. "Does that mean the maidens are scattered across the world?"

Genuine surprise registered over Ozpin's countenance.

"Yes…" He confirmed with a raised eyebrow.

"That," Emmeline commented with a glance to Glynda, Emmett, and Cristal. "Is taking it surprisingly well."

"I'd have to agree with that, yes." Ozpin nodded though he decided to not dwell on it. "There are a few other things that we need to cover. First, there is this woman –"

"If you can even call her that," Qrow said, getting elbowed by Tai in reaction. "What? We all know it's true. Salem is –"

"Salem is the...it's complicated but in short she is not the creator of but she is the master of the creatures of grimm." Ozpin sent Qrow a subtle glare. The man simply pulled out his flask and took a swig with a look as equally acidic as the one Cristal was giving him.

"I...I have failed to defeat her in the past and, for that reason, I reincarnate every time I die," Ozpin instinctively wrapped an arm protectively around his wife, who was startled for a brief moment. "As in, my soul merges with that of another who is...likeminded."

"Which brings around yet another point," Emmeline began to pace again as she avoided eye contact with Ozpin. "This...group, circle, brotherhood or whatever the hell you want to call it –"

"Emmeline –" He started tiredly.

"Not the time, Ozpin," She said, annoyed that she wasn't able to finish. "We, for all intents and purposes, protect Remnant from the people who want to destroy it - e.g., Salem. The trouble is, we're short on how to do so and, as a result, need all the help we can get…all the people we know with absolute certainty we can trust."

* * *

**_April 21st_**

**_City Of Mantle_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_South Sector_**

**_7:32 AM_**

It had taken him an ungodly amount of time to pull the address from Atlesian records, but he had managed it. Though he had seen or much less spoken to her in the last several years, Dean decided that now was the time to try and make amends. Lisa Carson was the only non-estranged member of his family who was still alive and, more than that, she was his elder sister. Still, the last few months had been contentious and, with that in mind, he had convinced a more than reluctant Spencer Ciel to come with him. It was a trap or, more accurately, a failsafe. If Lisa were to get too riled up, Spencer would be Dean's cannon fodder. He doubted that Spencer were aware of that, but Dean was smart enough to know he was more than a little cautious. After all, he was a Ciel and they had not ended the previous year in a good state. It was more like they had ended in hell.

Now, that was not to say Dean was vastly pitiful of them. He doubted they cared of the plight of people like him and he knew that it would never be their primary concern. That was his secondary for bringing Spencer here; he felt the need to show him things as they were for everyone else. The City of Mantle was as it always was although, like the rest of the kingdom, it was warmer than it had been the last time he was here. The temperature was well above freezing though the wind was still uncomfortable, and that meant that there were more people outside than the last time. It was the spring holidays, so the number of children running around was also greater than it had been the last time. Also like the last time, he couldn't help but feel a little nostalgic for when his life was like theirs: when it didn't matter who you were or where you came from or how wealthy you were.

_No, gods no, don't think like that. Emmett Schnee may have been your best friend, your boyfriend, and a hell of a lot of other things to you - once - but those things don't apply to him anymore. He's just as messed up as you are, and his family is just as bad as yours._

The Schnees. Of the rest of them, Willow is erratic at best. Cristal is a vengeful, ambitious shrew – much like the missing girl…Ashlynn. Emmett's niece who will probably turn out just as well as the rest of the goddamn family in the end, and Jacques is nothing short of a jackass.

_You could say the same thing about the family of the man walking beside you. Speaking of which, move the fuck on. Lisa won't want to hear about any of that bullshit because she'll just say that she told you so because she did. Even if that was years ago._

"Hey!" The familiar voice shouted at him as he started to move up to her house. "Who the hell…Dean?" Lisa lowered the gun that she had been pointing at him to also narrow her eyes upon the recognition of her baby brother. "Well, look who's got quite the nerve to show his face around here again."

Dean sent her a dark look. "Lisa, don't you dare –"

"Don't I dare what?" She laughed dryly. "Oh! And who's this…" She trailed off, her gun still tightly in her hands, and met Spencer's nervous gaze. "Oh my God. You're Spencer Ciel. What's a pretty boy like you doing down where us lowlifes live?"

Spencer grimaced and put up his hands. "To be perfectly honest, I don't really know why I'm here –"

"And let me just say –" Dean interjected.

"If you're going to say that you're sorry, I don't want to hear it." Attaching her gun to her side, she didn't relinquish the glare that she was giving him. "Really, Dean Carson, huntsman. Or should I call you Dean Schnee, huntsman?"

Dean matched the glare she was giving him as he clenched his fists. "I'm not involved with Emmett Schnee anymore. I broke that off over a year ago."

Lisa laughed mirthlessly. "I know that," She turned on Spencer. "Isn't Emmett Schnee dating your sister?"

Spencer sighed. "Okay, yes, but –"

"And you," She rounded on Dean once again. "Let me guess: you're here because you want sympathy?"

"What the fuck is wrong with you?" Dean demanded, not quite knowing the woman he was speaking with. "And I'll have you know – repeating myself, albeit – that I was the one who broke it off with him."

His sister looked taken aback before coming over to him and pulling him into a hug. "Damn, that's what I wanted to hear! Congratulations"

"Mama?" A little girl came out of the house holding a blanket tightly against her. She ran over to Lisa who scooped the tiny girl up into her arms.

"Who's this –" Dean's eyes went wide.

It seemed as if everyone was getting past their pasts except for him.

"My daughter, Viola." Lisa said, ruffling the hair of the girl. "Vi, this is your uncle: Dean."

"De...ean?" Confusion was written all over her face.

"Where's her father?" Dean asked, treading the lines carefully.

Spencer took a step back, feeling as if something were about to become very wrong.

Lisa wiped away the tears that threatened to take over her eyes. "He was killed in a mining accident - a Dust mining accident. The one that spurred on the investigation of the SDC that you were looking into when you were in an accident."

"Failure for the safety protocol to be followed?" Dean was almost certain that this was answer and the look on his sister's face was all he needed to know. "I am going to kill Jacques for ignoring that."

"What is it to you?" Lisa demanded; anger perfectly blended amongst the storm of confusion that she was at war with. "Why do you give a fuck? You didn't even come to our wedding, you've never visited, and you just found out that you have a niece today. All you've ever done is call and for what? To bitch about your so-called pitiful life?"

With a sigh, Dean tried to explain. "It's injustice, Lisa. That's what I fight."

"Yeah, you're a straight arrow," She said as she pulled Viola closer before setting her down. "Vi, go back inside. Let mama handle this."

The little girl nodded and ran back inside like her mother had said to. When Lisa turned back to Dean, she gave him a look of slight pity before she slapped him hard across the face. Her wedding ring hit his cheek in the softest spot. "You asshole!" She shrieked.

"Lisa –" He began.

"Don't," She snapped. "I don't give a flying fuck. If I'm your way of getting revenge on the Schnee family then –"

"It's not like that!" He protested. "I'm a huntsman for –"

"Dean, for God's sake, stop acting like you're the fucking hero of some fairytale. Fairytales aren't real. Pull your head out of your ass!" Lisa shook her head as she crossed her arms and scowled. "If you think that some maidens are going to show up here and save us all or that there is some master of the grimm out there or a man with two souls or two brother gods that created the fucking world –"

"I know that you've never been particularly religiously inclined but I –"

"Dean, if this is some attempt to make me believe in the brother gods –"

"Mom and dad did." He stated plainly, but he wished he hadn't the minute he saw her face. This time, she didn't fight the tears that were streaming down her face.

"Dragging them into this - them who died because of the ignorance of a family that you thought were our friends…" Lisa sighed heavily. "What is wrong with you?"

"I'm sorry –" He began.

"Fairytales aren't real –"

"You think I don't know that?" He hissed. "I do and -"

"Good, because no one and I mean no one is going to save people like us," Lisa narrowed her eyes at him. "You may be a huntsman, Dean, but that –"

"Lisa," He said slowly. "Family always –"

Her voice was broken through the sobs. "Don't even talk to me about family. You don't understand. I'm barely breaking even these days. Did you know that I was laid off of my last job and that now I'm stuck with the last thing I can do? Why do you think we have so little right now? I've sold almost all of my things so that Vi and I can leave here."

He raised an eyebrow. "You're going to Atlas, aren't –"

"Hell no," She snapped, wiping her tears away. "I'm moving Vi and I to Mistral - hopefully things will be better for us there than they are here."

"Mistral?" Dean's eyes swelled with tears. "No, Lisa, please don't do that."

"Why not?" She demanded, annoyed that he even gave half a damn. "It's my life, not yours."

He sighed. "I could help you. If you want, you and Vi could move in with me and -"

"Fuck you, I hate you!" She snapped again. "I don't need nor want your charity! What are you really doing here - tell me the truth! I don't honestly believe this is some -"

"I came here to try and make amends -"

Another mirthless laugh escaped her. "Well too bad. You've made your choices, and I've made mine -"

"But -"

"But what? There's only one thing you can do and that's even the motherfucking score." Lisa's voice was deadly and hard with pent up anger. "And to do that, I'd need you to kill the person who killed my husband."

Spencer stared at her in abject horror and looked to Dean with a similar expression.

"You have got to be kidding me –" Spencer started.

"Jacques…" Dean shook his head but then, off her gaze, nodded. "Yeah, alright I'll do it."

"How much time do you need?" A faint smirk graced her face and an evil glint rose in her eyes. "I've got a week and I'd like to be out of the kingdom when that news breaks."

"I can make that timeline work," Dean agreed. He supposed that there was sacrilege in being a huntsman and a killer, but this was a noble kill.

_And a revenge plot_. His conscience countered. _Is this taking it too far?_

He chose not to care.

"Oh, and you?" Lisa shook her head as she looked back to Spencer. "Don't think I've forgotten about you. You are just as bad as they are, you all are. So, for that, you are going to pay. Sorry."

Spencer let out an anguished cry when she fired a shot and it hit him in the side with a second one hitting just below that. She stormed inside her shanty of a home before attention could be drawn towards the scene but Dean, in a moment of grace, lifted him onto a keyed mo-ped nearby and took off in a storm to the hospital just a few blocks down.

It was a damn miracle that Spencer survived.

* * *

**_April 29th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_6:18 PM_**

"Alright," He said calmly. "Look at this."

Emmett drew his sword and pointed towards the center of the floor to summon a boarbatusk. His hands were shaking, and he kept resisting the urge to check his scroll. He was worried for Spencer, who was still in the hospital, and he was conflicted about his feelings towards Emmeline. Something had shifted in their relationship after her father had been killed, and it had a lasting effect on their relationship even though the had only first started seeing each other the July of that year. He loved her and he knew she felt the same towards him, but he was scared. He was terrified that things were moving too fast.

"See, Winter, I know that this is probably the most difficult part of the Schnee family semblance and, yes, I know that I haven't taught you time dilation or similar glyphs, but I want you to try this," He mustered a weak smile. "I think you can do it."

The eleven-year-old drew one of her twin blades and mimicked his movements. "How do I start?"

"Well, first I want you to realize how powerful these summons can be." The look he gave her was all she needed to know, and she pulled her other blade into her left. "We've done plenty of hand to hand combat in the last two years, but you've never actually fought a grimm. Consider this your first attempt."

The boarbatusk charged at the young girl who leaped out of the way in fear at first before attempting to impale it from the back. Barely getting out of the way before it managed to scrape her, she ran in diversion before attempting to get it. She tried to block out her emotions as they alerted the summon in the way that they would a real grimm, but they seeped through nonetheless. Her aura continued to drain as she diverted her energy into fruitless attempts to block emotion and, in one last attempt to beat the summoned monster, she used a glyph to propel herself forward at high speeds to stab it right in the head but missed by just an inch. Collapsing on the ground with one last attempt at stabbing the damn thing, she screamed as it charged at her and dissipated just above her. Coming over to her, Emmett helped the young girl up before pulling her into a loose embrace.

"Really," He said as he released her. "Winter that was a good try."

"No, it wasn't!" She screamed, falling back against the wall. "At this rate, I'll never get into Atlas Academy, I'll never get to have the chance to be a huntress, and I'll end up as some sort of pretty receptionist!" Winter collapsed in on herself as she burst into tears. "Why am I such a failure?"

"You aren't," He assured her, sitting down next to her. "You're a kid and you've got almost six more years before your entrance exams. Look, honestly, when I was your age, I almost blew up part of the library when I tried to do a time dilation and, don't try this or get any ideas, I thought that adding fire Dust would be the best plan ever."

The girl looked up, half smiling. "Seriously?"

"Yeah, your dad was pissed." Emmett smiled as he remembered Jacques's reaction. "Obviously, you don't remember that because it was almost ten years ago, and you weren't even two yet."

"So, I'm not terrible at fighting?" She asked, her blue eyes wide and on the verge of tears again.

"Of course not, you just need practice." Emmett sighed. "Look, why don't you tell me what you think went wrong and we can try and fix it."

Winter scowled deeply before she responded. "My emotions. That's why my aura drained so fast. I was trying to hide them with it."

"Don't do that," He told her, knowing from experience how dangerous that could be. "It's not worth it and it's more likely than not just to hurt you."

"Then what am I supposed to do?" Concealing emotion was one of the things that her father demanded of them and it wasn't easy for her in the slightest.

"Let me tell you something. You remember what 'fucked up' means, right?" Emmett asked, smiling when her eyes glinted mischievously.

"Father was angry when he heard me mutter it at one point," Winter admitted. "But, yes, I remember what 'fucked up' means. It means terrible and convoluted."

"Exactly, pipsqueak, and I'm proud of you for not being intimidated by him." Though he was restraining himself from laughing, he couldn't help but be amused by her. "Just by chance, does Willa know about that story?"

"She blamed you immediately," She said, smiling at the laugh she got in response. "Mother says that you are both a blessing and a curse. Father, on the other hand, says that your parents should have sent you to reform school."

Emmett laughed. "Cristal used to say the same thing. Sometimes, I'm just too much to handle and that goes for anyone." Emmett smirked while he pulled his niece into a hug. "I think he's just jealous or that he genuinely hates people who don't bow down to him."

Winter giggled. "Don't get caught saying that. I don't want to lose the ability to train with you."

"I don't want that either," Emmett agreed. "Look, I'm going to tell you the simple truth about all of us: emotional control is not exactly something that people in the Schnee family have and, I hate to say this, that applies to your father too."

"How does it apply to you?" She asked; as far as she was concerned, he was good at everything.

Emmett hesitated. Almost a million different stories began to pass through his head but the first few he recalled he couldn't explain to anyone, let alone his niece. Opting for an easier story to explain, he sighed.

"Alright," Emmett started slowly. "When I was studying at Atlas, I struggled in combat and during missions because my emotions were getting the best of me or drawing grimm."

A crash was heard down the corridor and shouting followed. At first, it was unintelligible but then it was clear.

"What in the -"

"Shut up, Schnee." The voice sounded suspiciously like Dean and, when Emmett ran out into the corridor, it turned out that those suspicions were not unfounded.

Grabbing his former partner's wrists, Emmett joined the fray. "Dean, what are you –" He shouted.

"For once I'm actually glad to see you, Emmett." Jacques wheezed as he tried to get out the way of Dean's glowing bow staff.

"Get your hands off of me, Emmett." Dean violently screamed, trying not to give into the urge to hurt him as well. "Can't you see –"

"What happened to you?" Emmett demanded, not understanding what was going on. "Why -"

"He's the reason my sister and her daughter are broke!" Dean snapped. "He killed my brother in law!"

Emmett stared at him in shock. "Since when do you -"

"Since apparently a few years ago because I have a three-year-old niece!" Dean growled in anger as Emmett snatched his bow staff out of his hands. "Give that back!"

"Not unless I know you aren't going to go on some sort of killing spree!" Emmett held the bow staff above his head and out of Dean's reach despite the fact that the red head was several inches taller than him. "Well?"

Dean clenched his fists. "I have every reason to kill him and -"

"So what?" Emmett snapped, dropping the bow staff and forcing his former partner, friend, and lover to look at him. "Even if you do, that doesn't make it right! What you're doing is vengeance and if you think it's justice then you're wrong!"

"This is about justice!" Dean roared, his anger taking control.

"Vengeance isn't justice!" Emmett shook his head and shoved him out of the way, prompting the man to run out.

A long moment passed in silence as Jacques got off the ground.

"Emmett -" He began slowly, regaining his steady breath.

"Jacques, call the police," Emmett sighed. "Someone needs to handle this situation before it gets any worse than it already has."

* * *

**_May 19th_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_4:47 AM_**

"Neh, neh!" Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch kept saying through her hyperventilation. The little girl was still figuring out how to speak, and her favorite thing to say was the term she had learned first. No.

"Caity, it's fine, shh...it's fine. I'm right here. Mommy's got you." Continuing to move about the apartment while she got her eldest to calm down, Glynda tried not to let her nerves overcome her. She knew even without being able to get confirmation that her little girl had had a nightmare, something that seemed to run in the family.

It certainly didn't help that things were getting so complicated, though, with Ozpin. With the changing tides. It wasn't easy in the slightest. The things that she and James were both looking into for Ozpin were not particularly pleasant although they were clear indications that Salem was slowly moving her pawns into place for reasons that no one in the group was quite sure of. Some of the worst meetings were the ones where Qrow had a report on a new species of grimm. Emmeline would add it into the list of known grimm in the Atlesian records and Emmett usually would curse, especially if it had an ability that aided in its abilities to kill. The Mountain Glenn site was finally beginning to slow down into a steady amount of grimm in the area, but they all knew that, with the way things had turned out, the population was always going to be higher than average.

The other concerning bit of information that had been discovered recently was that Emmett was almost certain, based on what he had encountered, that he, the group, and the rest of his family knew what had happened to Ashlynn Schnee. If what they were suggesting was true, then the Schnee had been taken by Salem and that was why she was so violent towards Emmett every time he had encountered her. The other thing that didn't help was Raven's long disappearances – the most recent having been weeks prior – let alone her obsession with the Spring Maiden. Ozpin chose to believe that she had been simply curious, and that stress had caused her to need time away from it all. The rest of them saw it differently, but Ozpin continued to brush off the concerns every time anyone raised them. Or at least anyone who wasn't Cristal. She seemed to be just hot-headed enough to level him out.

Finally, though it was five in the morning and the sun was only just barely peeking past the horizon, Caitlin fell back asleep and Glynda was able to put the little girl back down with her sister. Unable to bring herself to go back to sleep, Glynda decided to open the window just a little to let the cool air vent through the apartment. The sky looked almost blood stained and the shattered moon could still be seen through the skyscrapers and the cars that were just starting to get out on the road. It was slightly eerie, but at the same time it seemed peaceful. The color of the sky was fitting, she decided, given how things were changing in Remnant and she smirked a little as she paid attention to the moon and thought about what Ozpin had said about making more mistakes than anyone else who had ever lived on Remnant.

_Makes you wonder if he had anything to do with the condition the moon is. Natural satellites don't just appear shattered naturally, especially not so much that it can be seen from the planet's surface._

Adjusting her glasses and running her fingers through her pale, tangled blonde waves, Glynda sighed as she felt the slightly cool metal of James's cybernetic hand wrap around her along with his natural one. Turning around to face him, she wrapped her arms around him and brought him closer while leaning into him as much as she could. She wanted nothing more than to just stay in this moment. She was reasonably relaxed, and she wasn't feeling terribly nervous about anything that didn't normally bother her. It was so easy to get distracted by him, and that applied to both of them. They had long since agreed that they were each other's best distractions and it felt good knowing that they were there for each other.

"Was it another nightmare or the girls that woke you up this time?" James kept his voice soft, knowing that if it was the former that she wouldn't want to talk about it.

"Kind of both," She admitted quietly, trying to forget the dream she had had of losing him and the girls though she couldn't. "The nightmare woke me up first, but the girls were both needing something not too long after that. Ivy wanted to be fed and, if I had to bet, Caitlin had a nightmare herself and needed attention. She kept hyperventilating and saying no until I finally got her to calm down. Ivy, on the other hand, was out almost as soon as she finished nursing."

James sighed. "I know you don't want to -"

"Actually, for once we should." Glynda wrapped herself around him even more tightly than she already was. "James -"

"Glynda, if it's going to upset you, we don't have to." He lightly kissed her forehead before holding her as close as possible.

"I hate them, I really do but I feel like since all of them involve you and sometimes the girls that we should." She sighed again before she fidgeted with her glasses and started. When she did, her voice was unusually quiet and unsteady. "It was one of the ones where the girls were older - you already know how they look in those dreams - and it was them on a hunting trip. Ivy lost an arm fighting a grimm and she and Caity both got killed just as we got there and tried to stop it. I almost got rid of the thing before it took you."

"Glynda…" Trying to comfort her while she tried to steady her breathing, he wished that he could stop these things from hurting her. "That's not going to happen, I promise. The girls are fine now and they're still going to be fine seventeen years from now when they start at one of the academies. They'll be a little older because of their late birthdays, but that will be an advantage for them. As for me, I'm not going to let anything hurt us. I'm not going to ever stop loving you, Glynda, I promise. You mean everything to me."

"But -" She protested.

"Look, Glyns, everything is fine. We've got years before the girls start training, assuming the want to which I can imagine they will, and both of us are just fine. I promise." Squeezing her gently, relief set in once he realized that she was steadying. "I'm right here Glyns, and I'm not going to leave you. I love you."

"I love you too," Glynda kissed him gently before resting her head on his shoulder. "I love you so much."

James pulled her back in before the two of them went back to sleep. "Me too, honey, me too."

* * *

**_May 22nd_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_5:56 PM_**

_Some powerful sorceress I am,_ Cinder thought bitterly as she glared at her reflection not for the first time. _This is exactly who I am and yet I can't fully be her? It's pathetic._

Weeks of practicing had been helping but she was still angered by the fact that she hadn't fully managed to fracture herself enough to get rid of Ashlynn Schnee. Ashlynn cared too much about other people, specifically she cared too much about her family. It was complete and utter bullshit and, on top of that, it was pathetic. She felt weak, the opposite of how she wanted to feel. It set her back from her goals of proving to Salem that she was powerful and more than that it seemed almost to discredit her claims to be a young woman who wants power. That fact pissed her off more than she cared to admit and as she continued to scowl at the girl who stared back at her from within the mirror, Salem clicked her tongue in disapproval.

"This..." Salem shook her head. "Whatever you call it is not doing you any good."

"I know," Cinder hung her head low in apology and shame. "I'm -"

"You aren't trying hard enough, that's what you're doing," Salem snapped. "It has been weeks since we started this - over a month has passed and you still aren't fully Cinder Fall. I thought you were the girl who craved power over everything else?"

Cinder turned around to face Salem. "I am!"

"Then prove it!" Salem swung her hand across the young woman's face before sending a seer into the mirror. "Make the final cut. Push her out of you because she is not you anymore!"

"She isn't me!" Cinder growled. "That bitch died on the motorway over -"

Salem glared as she cut her off. "If that was the case you wouldn't see these people as your family in any regard! Today had better be the day you succeed, because I am not in the mood to deal with you being a disappointment."

Cinder flinched but her gaze did not waver while the images flashed before her.

"What are you feeling, what are you thinking?" Salem demanded though she made an attempt to mask the fact that it was an order and not a request

"I want to know why anyone feels sorry for them," Cinder admitted truthfully. "They're both stuck up and famous beyond belief and they think that they deserve sympathy? It's pathetic."

A very rare, genuine smile that almost seemed unnatural crossed Salem's face. "Who are they?"

Generalized bitterness came through in her response. "Emmeline Cecilia Ciel and Emmett Arthur Schnee."

Salem paused before she smirked. "Are they family?"

"Gods no!" Cinder exclaimed in anger at the suggestion now. "Of course not!"

The unnatural smile returned to Salem's face for a second time. "Perfect." Salem waved her hand across the mirror and the image changed to what almost looked like the top of the clock tower.

"What is that?" Cinder asked, recognizing Glynda, James, Emmett, Cristal and Emmeline Ciel. "Where is that?"

"Beacon Tower," Salem said with a bitter edge. "And the one you haven't seen before is Ozpin. One of our primary enemies. I assume you recognize the others?"

"The blonde is Glynda Goodwitch," Cinder said, explaining it quickly. "The dark-haired man with the neurotransmitter in Atlas military uniform is James Ironwood. Cristal Schnee is the woman with glasses next to Ozpin. Obviously the one with the white hair is Emmett Schnee and, naturally, the dark-haired woman is Emmeline Ciel."

"This other man is...new, isn't he?" Salem inquired, her gaze following the group.

Cinder nodded. "Yes, wasn't it -"

"Thank you Cinder, we will be discussing this matter more later." Salem waved her hand at the young woman in dismissal and Cinder did what she was told.

**Author's Note: Thank you to everyone who has gi me support through my creative process: it mea so much! And shoutout to merendinoemilano, who has been a great friend and co-worker when I've needed help with my ideas. Love you all!**


	25. Tick Tock

_**June 9th  
_**Kuroyuri  
_**Mistral  
_**Anima  
_**6:39 PM**_**_**_**_**_

The rain began to drizzle on to his clothes and off of his back though the sun was still peeking through the clouds. The village of Kuroyuri was reasonably out of one's way which, for a person who needed and wanted to disappear, was perfect. For him, this was especially important - considering the fact that not only were the officials in Atlas looking for him for charges of attempted murder, but because of the fact that Lisa was known for her wrath and his failure had put a target on his back when it came to her. He wasn't helpless - having been trained as a hunter, he knew how to defend himself. It hadn't been easy to admit, but he now recognize that he was no longer a hunter. More like a gun for hire. A businessman. He didn't really care. At this point, his former teammates were simply that. Glynda and James were parents and, as for Emmett, it wouldn't shock him if he were going to be one soon enough.

Dean clenched his fists as he all but stormed around the town. There was a jealous streak running through his blood despite the fact that he was relieved to have had ended the relationship. Still, when he clenched his fists, he found that there was a little bit of blood coming out of the palms of his hands in shiny red beads. Brushing them off against his pants, he sighed in irritation and made his way into the town's meager bar with his hands shoved in his pockets. Wrapping his hands around the lien that he still had, Dean went up to the small woman who was running it and pushed seventy-five lien towards her. Her eyebrows raised in surprised and she looked at him critically.

"Seventy-five?" She clicked her tongue. "Really?"

Dean sighed and looked to her with a look that was equally critically. "Bottomless shots?"

"In this town? For me? Hell, seventy-five is more than I get paid for…" She shook her head and started to pour from the top shelf. "Want anything else with that? Like me?"

He raised an eyebrow. "Are you hitting on me?"

"No but, since you paid me so much, I assumed that you were making up for the sex." A weak sigh escaped her lips as she watched him take shots. "Where are you from, torch? You don't seem like you're from around here…"

"Atlas," Dean admitted, continuing to take shots and allowing the warmth from the alcohol to come through him. "Things are a little more -"

"Uptight?" She suggested, laughing when he nodded curtly. "I'm not surprised - everything I've ever heard of the northernmost kingdom involves a complex government system and how most people are self-righteous asses who need to get the fuck over themselves. Am I right?"

"Pretty much," He nodded and continued with his drinking. "I had to get out. I may or may not have a target on my back because I attempted murder."

The woman laughed. "Oh, really, torch? Funny thing is that I don't see it in you."

Dean smirked. "There's a lot people don't immediately see in me. I was a poor boy from Mantle, once upon a time, and now I've gone to Atlas Academy, got certified as a huntsman and, now, over a year or so later, and I am close to being a convicted killer."

"Oh, then allow me to get started," The woman returned his smirk as she lit a cigarette and leaned towards him seductively. "Ooo la la. You're so fancy, aren't you? Should I slap an expensive hat on your head, or have you stolen one already? By the way…why don't you get something from the top shelf for your bottomless shots. I think you'll like that a lot better than this, after all."

Dean laughed heartily, almost choking on his drink. "Gods, could you get more accurate?"

She winked. "I'm not done."

He gestured for her to go on. "Then finish."

She smirked. "Yeah, well life's all about who gives a fuck, isn't it? Especially in Atlas. Aren't all of you convinced you're better than the best of us? Are you sure that you're really Atlesian? Torch, honey, you are nothing like them. Can't you see? There's no going back."

Dean considered that and then took another shot. "Yep, that's about right."

She flicked a tad of ash aside before taking another long draw. "Ugh, I hate this. Fuck this, fuck Atlas, fuck it all. Fuck it all."

Dean smiled and continued to take down more and more drinks while she slowly joined him between her draws. Objectively, he observed her and tried to take in her appearance. She was slim and had strawberry blonde hair with multiple rings on her fingers. Her earrings were large and hung like chandeliers from her earlobes. Her dress was strapless and very tight while her heels were at least six inches high. Her necklace was large and had a red jewel in the center and her breasts were mostly exposed. He could see her cleavage very clearly and she was intentionally exposing it to him more and more. Dean couldn't deny that she was beautiful, and he could imagine why she assumed that he may have been throwing an extra bit of lien at her for sex. He was starting to get the feeling that she was used to it and had been for years. Still, he couldn't let his fantasies overtake him. He knew full well that there was a bright ass target painted on his back at the moment and the chances of it going away were slim.

_Just make yourself at home around here_. Dean took another shot to drown out his inhibitions. _After all, with the way things stand, you're probably going to be here for a while. Fuck._

* * *

_**June 7th  
_**Kuroyuri  
_**Mistral  
_**Anima  
_**8:14 PM**_**_**_**_**_

The town of Kuroyuri was quaint although it had an irritatingly secure feeling to it. Cinder couldn't help but imagine the havoc that a few grimm could do to this placid little Mistrali town but, at the same time, she wasn't going to push her luck until she knew she was doing it for something that would undeniably please the Queen. With nothing better to do at the moment, she made her way into the town's bar and decided to have a drink no matter how disgusting. It was alcohol that she needed in her system if she was going to get through this. The regulars, or at least the majority of the men present, who saw her come in immediately started sizing her up and some even hooted at her. She ignored them. She knew that her outfit was revealing and seductive at the same time, but she was just being a bit of tease. She had recently cut her hair again into a pixie that emphasized her waves and, although it had started to grow out a little, it still vastly differed from her appearance over a year ago. Her red dress was short, and she had form fitting, black shorts underneath it. It had separated sleeves and was held up by multiple straps tied tightly around her neck in a bow.

In spite of her recently discovered affinity for glass, she had made the choice to wear heels that were of a more conventional disposition. That was especially true since she was still learning how-to walk-in glass heels without injuring herself. Her glass heels were still difficult to walk in and, while she was beginning to practice fighting in them, she hated how much pain they caused to her feet and ankles. This was made worse by the fact that Salem had, in a moment of rage at her apprentice for not progressing fast enough, stabbed her ankles with the sharp, pointed ends of a seer. The blood had dripped onto the floor and sloshed in her heels and the blisters that she was getting from her glass slippers did not help the matter. Things were not at their highest points for her, and they certainly weren't doing her much in regard to making her feel powerful. The most obvious signs of her humanity caused her anger. She resented the fact that her humanity was something that Salem found trouble with and she particularly hated the fact that Salem used her humanity against her.

_Cinder, my dear, you are still human no matter how powerful you are and no matter how powerful you may become. Salem had said as she had appraised the physical appearance of her apprentice, examining every part of the young woman before tilting the woman's head back and hyper-focusing on her neck and face. The only ties you have to your former self are biological, and no matter what you do or what you gain in power and strength… you will never be able to defeat me. Ever._

It was still strange to look at herself and realize that only a little over a year prior she was still white-haired and, amongst other things, unaware of the true fight that lay ahead and of the way the world of Remnant really was. It was irritating to look back on the woman who had been named Ashlynn Schnee. Ashlynn was self-righteous and followed what she believed and wanted above all else but, at the same time, she had no damn back bone when it came to taking power. It was shit out of luck that turned her into the woman she was; it was shit out of luck that killed Ashlynn Schnee. Cinder Fall was slowly on the path to becoming one of the most fearsome users of magic in Remnant's history but even she knew that it was probably going to be over a decade before she did anything significant.

_November 3rd._

Her favorite day of the year, if only because it would be the first day the Queen would allow her to act.

Cinder moved over to the bar and sat down next to a red headed man taking shots. She ordered herself a full glass of gin and demanded that it be snappy before she looked at the man's face. Shock waves went through her. Of all the people for her to see again, Dean Carson was towards the bottom of that list.

"Dean Carson." She smirked.

He looked up at her in surprise and fear. "Who the hell are you?"

She knew full well of his current situation and smiled, placing a hand on his shoulder. "Cinder Fall. See, I want to help you."

"And what makes you think that I'll believe that?" His gruff reply was off-putting, but she retained her smile.

"If I told you that I could help you get revenge and gain power..." She tapped her fingers against the edge of the bar. "What would you say?"

He stared at her in shock. "I would take that deal a million times over, but what's the catch?"

She smirked and placed a kiss on his lips for the briefest of moments. "Come with me and I will explain the basics on the way. It's a need-to-know basis."

* * *

_**June 9th  
_**Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council  
_**Department Of Local And National Law Enforcement  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**United Kingdom Of Atlas  
_**Security Level: Mid-Range  
_**Necessary Security Clearance: Low  
_**3:21 PM**_**_**_**_**_**_**_**_

"Yes, Elizabeth, I am completely aware of the situation involving Dean Carson and the attempted murder. I may actually be more aware of it than I'd like to be." Leanne Tanner knew that her voice was constrained, but she was beginning to lose patience with the onslaught of questions in regard to what happened to Dean Carson.

"He's gone off the grid, Miss Tanner," Karissa pointed out, trying not to provoke her as she knew the things that the woman had to deal with members of the Department of Foreign Affairs And Military Action. She felt out of place and uncomfortable. Elizabeth had sent her to this meeting ahead of her, and she was not sure how she felt about the situation. "Is that not concerning?"

"It is highly concerning," She agreed, her tone clipped. "However, at the present time, there are some other...aspects of the situation that need to be addressed."

Next to Karissa, Kiara Davis raised an eyebrow. "Such as?"

"Such as the final messages sent between him and his sister," She brought up the records and capitalized on the last few. "As you can see, it is possible that Carson can not only be charged with attempted murder but conspiracy as well because –"

"Because the last few messages reveal a plot by Lisa to 'deal with' the Atlesian government. Apparently, she was a member of a splinter faction," Davis sighed, having been Lisa's parole officer when the woman had been younger and she herself had been in early twenties. "I shouldn't be all that surprised but it is regrettable that she has, evidently, not changed."

"It's hardly your fault, Davis." Leanne assured her, knowing full well the story behind the woman's attempts to help the elder Carson sibling after she had been released from prison when she was in high school several years prior. "You are not to blame for Lisa Carson's...issues."

Davis sighed heavily. "But I -"

"Kiara, really" LCDR Ciel said, sending her a sympathetic if pointed look. "If it were your fault –"

"It is my fault," Kiara spoke shortly and looked to her hands. "And if I had been better at my job -"

Leanne Tanner snapped, struggling to understand where Kiara's concern was coming from. "What would have changed? Lisa Carson's issues were not of any fault of yours. They were tied directly to the suffering and pain that she experienced so early on in life. She never developed positive coping skills, and that was what led to the incidents that caused her to be arrested on multiple occasions. I'm quite sure that my father had told you that sort of thing before."

She paused upon the stunned looks everyone was giving her. Leanne shook her head. She was not cut out for dealing with the intricacies of people; she was the head of the Department of Local and National Law Enforcement, not a psychologist.

"Edward Ciel, rest his soul, saw the best in me, even when he was just an influential representative of this district on the council. And he thought highly of my abilities as a law enforcement officer, even in my twenties, but I was not nearly as capable as I ought to have been to be dealing with a troubled, underprivileged teen." Fighting back tears of regret for what she viewed as her failure, Kiara Davis tightened her grip around the edge of the table as she stood up. "The work I had been dealing with before I was handed the Carson case, which in any other circumstances would have been viewed as a step down, were much less involved when it came to be dealing with interpersonal communication and reform. I was predominantly dealing with human and faunus rights violations, crime scene forensic science, a few cold cases that ended in dead end leads, kidnappings, suicides, and murders. I profiled serial killers and caught a few of them. I have and continued to appear in court as a state prosecutor...but I didn't recommend Lisa Carson for reform school when I had the chance. Your father supported my decision making and seconded it to the council at the time. I thought I was doing the right thing, but I let my pity for Carson blind me -"

"It's not necessarily a bad thing that you felt a level of compassion towards her," Emmeline said reasonably, picking at her nails. "And if –"

"To all of you, I'm sorry that I have to keep cutting across you, but I don't think you understand! It was my responsibility to turn Lisa Carson's life around and I failed! I failed utterly!" Kiara walked away from the table with tears dripping out of the corner of her eyes as she stepped over to the window, grasped the sill, and glared out into the city. "If I had just seen the goddamn signs!"

"Kiara," Leanne finally said, her arms folded calmly across her chest. "You did what you thought was right, and there is no shame in that. You cannot save everyone and, as hard a truth as that may be, you have to recognize that you can't save or help someone who doesn't truly want it."

"There are charges for aiding in an attempted murder and for possible conspiracy targeted towards her now." Davis turned around and forced herself to look at the group. "That is more than enough proof that I failed."

"I disagree," Leanne said, narrowing her eyes at her. "Lisa Carson could have turned her life around but she didn't, even though she was given practically every opportunity to."

"But I'm her aunt!" Davis lost her temper and shouted halfway across the room, startling everyone present. "I'm family, and if she wasn't going to listen to family, then who in the -"

"Davis, for god's sake, calm the hell down!" Leanne snapped, her authority written explicitly in her tone. "There is nothing that can be done to change this, and you know it."

"Why, though..." Her voice was barely audible, and tears were pinning at the edges of her eyes again. "Why did any of this have to happen?"

Silence echoed throughout the room as they all took in what she was saying. The pain and guilt that she was experiencing could not be easy to carry by any stretch of the imagination, but it was especially awful to realize that Kiara was family. Lisa and Dean's aunt on their mother's side. She had seen them in ways that other people hadn't, the way that only family could. It was unfair and needlessly brutal but there was no escaping it. Everyone took a second to look at Kiara Davis before looking to Leanne Tanner, who sighed and rubbed her temples in resignation. As much as she knew that Davis was struggling, even she couldn't stop her own thoughts from traveling to her life in the silence.

"I am so sorry I'm late!" A breathless voice exclaimed as she stepped into the meeting room. "Miss Tanner, I -"

"Elizabeth, calm down," She said tiredly. "I already know that your meeting with the DFAMA ran long. Karissa Mar here said as much."

Elizabeth bit her lip as she sat down, still scared by the way Rebecca Neale had cornered her after the meeting. "Sorry."

Emmeline stared at her. "Are you alright?"

Elizabeth looked down at her hands and shook her head. "Not really..."

"Later," Tanner said, sighing heavily. "We can discuss this later."

* * *

_**June 12th  
_**Location: Unknown  
_**11:45 PM**_**_**_

Salem narrowed her gaze on the young woman who was currently standing before her with the red headed man who had been on Schnee, Goodwitch, and Ironwood's team at Atlas Academy. She restrained herself from killing both of the right then and there. Cinder for an apparent lack of prudence, and the man for being simply being there. Instead, however, she glared at the young woman and decided that demanding an explanation would be better. With Cinder, she had found that by taking a cold approach with an 'I'm not angry, simply disappointed' strategy that she got better results when it came to the young woman's discipline. The man quaked in her presence which she noted, and she fleetingly considered the possibility of not killing him. Perhaps he could be useful. Cinder retained a deathly grip on his wrists which she had tied behind his back though her gaze was at her feet. The Queen's eyes narrowed and, when she spoke, her icy voice was sharper than usual.

"Look up," She commanded, and Cinder obeyed. "Explain...this."

Cinder shoved the still unnerved man towards Salem. "This is Dean Carson. Former member of Team JGED of Atlas Academy. He recently attempted to murder Jacques Schnee and is willing to support our cause."

Salem's hand swung hard across the young woman's face. "Stupid girl! Have I not told you specifically that revealing any of this is dangerous? Mankind is our enemy, Cinder, I should think that you know that by now."

"But he agrees!" Cinder protested. "He wants power, just like I do. He'll support us, he'll -"

"You did not have orders to do such a thing, Cinder!" Salem snapped as she appraised Dean. "However," She said slowly. "This may yet prove...beneficial."

"Beneficial?" Dean asked, trying to not shrink back in fear at the harsh gaze that the Queen imposed upon him. "I really will do -"

"Dean...Dean if I... if I bring you into our cause," Salem began slowly with a dangerous edge in her voice that Cinder recognized all too well. "You must swear your loyalty to me and do know that I do not take insubordination lightly."

Salem glared at Cinder and used a seer to capture her throat and choke her for as long as possible without killing her. The sharp ends of the seer pierced the young woman's arms and the tubular ends wrapped tightly around her throat. Cinder fell to the ground as her breath was cut off and, once the seer was released, she bent over heavily clutching her chest and breathing heavily. Her hand went to her head in pain and she collapsed further onto the ground while trying to regain her breath. Several minutes passed of Dean observing this in horror. Once her breath was back, the seer was directed to tie tightly around her wrists and ankles. She screamed out in pain as they continued to tighten. Salem had a small, sadistic smile as she watched the young woman's pain and she slowly released them, and Cinder's screams abated. The Queen looked to Dean who attempted to hide his horror. Blood was dripping off of Cinder's arms, and her breathing was unsteady. Retaining her glare and sadistic smile, Salem turned on her apprentice who was still on the ground.

"Get up!" She commanded and, once again, Cinder obeyed. "Despite your best efforts, you are still human and will always be that way. Distance yourself as you may from your past. I know that what I do occasionally brings back repressed memories of the abuse you suffered as a child."

"No…" Dean's voice was barely audible but it was enough to anger the Queen.

"Sympathy makes you weak, and I do not tolerate weakness. You have two choices: do as I say verbatim or die. We fight Ozpin and his group: Cristal Schnee, Emmeline Ciel, Emmett Schnee, Glynda Goodwitch, and James Ironwood amongst others. What do you choose?"

Hearing the names of his former teammates and friends caused him a moment of pain and hesitation but he knew better than to let himself die. Especially if there was a chance for power.

"I will do as you say," He said after a moment of hesitation.

A genuine smile graced Salem's lip. "Allow me to explain our fight and why mankind, Ozpin, and its...creations are our enemies."

"Of course," Dean said, adding a glance to Cinder who nodded weakly. "But may I inquire as into one thing?"

Salem's eyes narrowed, but she nodded slowly regardless. "One thing only."

Dean looked to Cinder. "Who was she?"

The Queen turned to glare at Cinder. "Explain, Cinder."

An uneven gasp escaped the young woman's throat. "I... I was...you knew me, Dean, I know you did."

He raised an eyebrow in confusion. "I mean, you seem a little familiar but there is no way in hell that you -"

"I…I was Ashlynn Schnee," Cinder sighed upon his shocked expression. "Dean, I am not her anymore. Ashlynn died en route to Haven Academy."

"Not biologically," He pointed out, feeling sick. "And -"

"I am going to be one of the most powerful sorceresses that Remnant has ever seen." Her face was hard in determination and she did not relent. "I will finally gain the power I crave. The Schnee Dust Company was once my birthright, but it was taken away from me by a complete and utter… sorry, I just despise reminiscing over what I once was."

"So, Emmett wasn't lying when he said that you attacked him?" Part of him was incredulous, but he couldn't help the fact that there was a part of him that admired her will.

_Yeah, you're a straight arrow._

Lisa's harsh words came back to him as his conscience tried to stop him from going down this path. His mind was made up already, however, and he decided that although he did not like what he knew he would have to do or what he imagined he would have to do, he had to do what it was going to take to preserve himself. Besides that, he had already told Salem that he would join and support their cause against mankind. He allowed the feelings towards those who had dominated his life for years to flood into him. Hatred, hopelessness, anger, oppression. He remembered the violence that he had witnessed in the plagued streets from a young age and he reminded himself of the reasons why his niece was an orphan and why his parents died.

_If the world hadn't pushed me over the edge, if it wasn't pushing me over the edge, then maybe I'd be less willing to do this. How many more innocents have to die before something is done? Even if the people I'm working with fight the wrong things for the wrong reasons, if I gain enough power, I'll be able to fix things. I'll be able to make this world better._

He sighed as he leaned back onto a chair in a half stretch. "I'm listening. Tell me about our enemies and how to fight them."


	26. The End of the Dawn

_**July 2nd  
_**Location: Unknown  
_**9:52 PM**_**_**_

Cinder shrieked out in pain as the seer pierced her ankles once more. Following immediately after, the tubular portions of it coiled tighter and tighter around them until she was crying from the pain. Blood was then drawn by the seer from her legs. The sharp ends of it cut up her thighs in the way that a knife would. The floor was splattered with the fluids flowing out of her, the fluids that showed her humanity despite her desire to not be viewed as human. She wanted to be viewed as above human and not as one. Privately, he had come to the conclusion that she did so to remove herself a step from the morals that defined the humans and the faunus, but he knew better than to say so. He had figured out very quickly after observing her being tortured the first time that, unless someone spoke to him around here, keeping his mouth shut would be the best course of action. He didn't veer his eyes away from her despite wanting to. This desire, however, only increased upon the seer reopening scars on her back and on her arms that he knew she was going to hide. Salem did not relent until the woman fainted and that was when she used her magic to close all of the wounds and force her awake.

"Get off the floor," She demanded. "Now."

Cinder nodded although she was noticeably weak, and she moved over towards the Queen who was beckoning her. "I'm sorry."

"You are a failure more often than you are not, Cinder, and that is unacceptable. How many times will I have to torture weakness and failure out of you?" Salem clicked her tongue in annoyance at not receiving a response before she turned to Dean and shoved him towards the mirror. "You are going to have to learn to distance yourself from the singular tie that binds you and makes you weak. Family." The Queen ordered her seer, the same that had tortured Cinder, into the mirror and waved the image into the state of Lisa and Viola. "Do not fail."

"...Mama?" Viola was holding her blanket close and was looking at her mother with wide eyes.

"...Oh, baby, come here." Lisa picked up the little girl and booped her nose before setting her down on the counter beside her while she continued to cook. "I'm almost done, and then we can eat"

Viola nodded before sucking on her thumb while Lisa added spices to what appeared to be soup. The place they were in, as far as he could tell, was a shanty in, likely, Argus. The walls appeared to be made of a compacted stone but looked a little weak in places while the ceiling appeared to be made of aluminum. He supposed that that was also the roof. It was a shock to see his sister in such a terrible condition. He had assumed that leaving the defunct kingdom of Mantle would make things better for her and her daughter rather than worse. Things had gotten better for him even if they hadn't gotten better for her. He had had a temporary fling with a Mistrali woman just before he had joined them and he was now going to be able to get revenge, power, and, of course, he'd be able to survive. He had been raised to lie and cheat and steal and though he had stopped that during his time at Atlas Academy, he had decided that now it didn't matter. The image slow dissipated as he found himself caring less and less about the woman who had been his sister and the child of hers that was, technically, his niece. Salem seemed pleased for once and she didn't even protest when he pulled out a cigar – a habit he had taken up a few weeks prior.

"Of course, this...was unexpected but it was a good thing." A faint approving smile grace the face of the Queen as she observed his appearance. "But now that we know that you are with us, you need a new name. Cinder needed to choose one, and now so do you."

"Oh...well that's easy," He said, leaning against the wall. "Roman Torchwick. Sounds better than 'Dean Carson' at any rate."

Salem nodded shortly. "You do understand that I... froze your aging so that you and Cinder would be more adept in the future, yes?"

He shrugged. "As long as I get out of this alive, I don't care."

Cinder smirked and touched his arm briefly. "Well, I must say that it's unfortunate that you need a new weapon as well."

Roman looked at her in abject horror at the idea. "What are you talking about?"

"Well, I destroyed your bow staff on the way here...you know, in case you tried to hurt me. I figure you'll want something to go with that dashing hat and jacket of yours, Roman."

"Bitch." He said, flicking cigar ash off to the side. "What the -"

"Come up with something soon… otherwise there might be trouble." Haughtily, Cinder walked off and left him with Salem who narrowed her gaze. Pacing, the Queen looked at him as he continued to shift from side to side as he finished his cigar.

"Roman…" She shook her head in irritation though that feeling was not directed towards him. "I need you to get your weapon made quickly and I need you to master its usage quickly because, by December, I need you to cause an 'accident' for one of the group. Naturally, to send a message to Ozpin and his...associates. Don't kill them but get them hospitalized because if they aren't in enough trouble to need serious medical attention then it won't be enough of a message. You're going to have to train hard for this...after all her skills are intense but if you can strain their aura enough to knock them unconscious, I imagine that that will be sufficient."

"Yeah, sure, okay." Roman began to leave though her gaze followed him.

"And…listen to Cinder," Salem laughed for a moment. "After all, she's the one in charge of you."

* * *

_**July 3rd  
_**City Of Mistral  
_**Mistral  
_**Uptown  
_**5:12 PM**_**_**_**_**_

Tossing her spear halfway across the room, Aphrodite Nikos screamed out in anguish, rage, and despair. She should have known that it was a mistake to get involved with that Dean Carson bastard, but he had been so charming and so kind. Her pity for him had been almost boundless when she met him at the end of April, and they had had no qualms with moving right into a romantic and, admittedly, sexual relationship. But then he had left back at the end of May - they had been together a month - and that was the end of it. Except for the fact that it wasn't, at least in an indirect sense. Looking into the mirror, Aphrodite took in her vivid green eyes, her red hair, and her pale complexion. Calming herself, she sighed heavily and wiped away the tears that were threatening to overtake her. She was alone now - no one was going to give half a damn about her. She knew nothing of her parents except for in, presumably, her surname. She hit a wall every time she tried to learn anything about them, and at this point she presumed they were dead.

She was an only child, she was beautiful, and she was a gifted huntress but that was all anyone saw in her. Now she knew that that included Dean too. Not that she was at all surprised, but after years of being put on a pedestal it was nice to be involved with someone who had had an entirely different life and saw the flaws in the life she had lived that she did. Despite her emotions, she forced her gaze down at the positive pregnancy test on the counter. A part of her wanted to just get rid of the pregnancy and move on with her life, that part being the logical one, but she was hesitant. She began with the reasons why she should terminate it: timing was horrible, she was only twenty-five, it would set her career back as a huntress, financial concerns, and of course the fact that it reminded her of her mistake. There was one reason that held her back: the allure of the idea of having someone she could love unconditionally who would love her back. If she did have it, then she could be loved by someone who saw her as much more than just a talent with beauty.

Dropping the test in the rubbish bin, she went into her room and laid down on her bed with her eyes closed though she was not sleeping. Everything logical was telling her not to set her life back but her emotions would not shut up and kept bringing her down. She wanted and needed someone in her life to care about her for who she was a person and not for superficial reasons. It all kept coming back around to her questioning how sure she was about what her logic was telling her and, in the end in spite of all of her valid reasons not to, she decided to keep it. It made her angry that her emotional desire for real human contact was so dominant, but it also made her realize that it wasn't worth it to live her life filled with pain and fear.

Rolling over with a groan, she reached over to take her scroll in hand to call one of the few people she didn't feel was a backstabber or a future backstabber. That person was Sam Winston - one of the youngest Mistrali women to ever win the Vytal festival. She had been on the same team as Aphrodite and they had been first years during the one just four years, or one cycle, prior to the most recent competition where some Atlesian chick had won. Pulling up to information on her computer about the results of the last Vytal festival tournament, she sighed in irritation when she realized that the chick who had won had been on the same team as her child's father and, to top it off, a Schnee. Emmett Schnee, to be exact. Groaning as she looked to her scroll which was still trying to call Sam, she almost hung up but heard her voice over the line.

"Aphrodite?" She asked.

"Hey," She said, sighing heavily. "Sam, I need your help."

"With what?" Sam replied, almost amused.

"You need a place to stay, right?" Aphrodite bit her lip. "After you got evicted from your apartment in Kuroyuri?"

"Yeah…" Sam said slowly. "Why?"

"If I let you move in with me," Aphrodite said. "Can we split the rent on my place fifty-fifty?"

"I can make that work..." Sam paused. "But what's the catch?"

"There isn't one," Aphrodite told her. "I just need to be able to spend more on other things."

Sam laughed a little. "Since when?"

"Since I got pregnant," Aphrodite snapped. "That's when."

"Of all people?" Sam said incredulously. "You're keeping it?"

Aphrodite blew on her hair irritably. "Unless you are willing to marry me and love me until the -"

"Gods no!" Sam exclaimed in horror. "That'd be disgusting. I'm just -"

"Surprised?" Aphrodite suggested. "Yeah, well, I'm not exactly thrilled but my need for unconditional love is so -"

"You don't have to explain," Sam said gently. "It's your choice."

Aphrodite sighed again, this time out of relief. "Thank you."

"So, who's the father?" She questioned. "Please don't -"

"He left." Aphrodite said shortly.

"Oh..." Sam said awkwardly. "What was -"

"Dean Carson," Aphrodite said, the faintest bit of bitterness clear in her voice. "And he was a member of -"

"Didn't the only girl on that team win the tournament for Atlas or something at the last -" Sam started.

"Yes." Aphrodite finished.

"Damn…" Sam said almost sassily.

"I'm not going to dwell on it," Aphrodite said with finality. "Besides, it's not her fault or the fault of any of her other teammates that one is a bastard."

"Well, I promise I'll be there with my things soon enough," Sam promised. "I'll talk to you again soon."

"Okay," Aphrodite said with a small smile. "Bye."

"Later." Sam said happily.

Hanging up, Aphrodite placed her scroll back down on the dock before she wandered into the kitchen and climbed up onto the counter. Resting her chin in the palms of her hands, she let a resigned sigh escape her lips. What she was doing defied everything she knew about making decisions, but she knew that she might feel worse if she didn't take a risk, if she didn't this chance. She believed that she had this all figured out but at the same time she also doubted that she did. Her thoughts were a juxtaposition, and she was confused. It made her angry. She was angry that she wasn't totally sure, and she was angry at her child's father for leaving her. She sighed again and tried to let go of it. After all, she had other things to think about.

* * *

_**July 10th  
_**Location: Unknown  
_**11:37 PM**_**_**_

Looking at the slowly healing wounds inflicted upon her ankles and on her arms, Cinder forced herself to, despite the rampant pain that was going through her, work with her glass heels. She felt a little bit like that character from that fairytale Willow loved - Cinderella - in part because of her youth but more because of the glass heels. That was the main thing she remembered from that story, and primarily because she had always thought that it would be dangerous as hell and uncomfortable to boot. Uncomfortable, yes, and she had to admit that it was probably dangerous to wear heels made from glass. She was stronger than most people, though, so she subjected herself to such extremes to gain even further strength. It was a personal battle - one that she fought for the sole purpose of fighting. Levitating Dust crystals on the other side of them, Cinder shot them at the mirror to shatter it, but the pieces flew at her and she shielded herself with her semblance. Shoving her the pieces back into place in anger she moved over to look at her work, but her eyes went wide, and tears began to form as she noticed the gash on her cheek that was bleeding. It reminded her of her childhood, and it made her feel sick.

_A hard blow went against her cheek as her mother slapped her. She had tried not to cry but tears were already streaming down her face from the pain. It continued over and over until she was numb, and blood was trailing out of her face and onto the otherwise pristine floor. Nicholas was away for work and that left his wife to care for their four children. The self-proclaimed psychic had always justified her abuse of her eldest with the notion that the girl was going to turn out evil - so evil that she would be able to kill and feel nothing. So much so that she'd be one of the most dangerous women in the world. The woman felt that the best way to handle this was to beat it out of her - to subject her to so much pain that she would learn to survive but would rather die than see anyone in the world suffer. This time, she was beating her for reasoning that a villain could be just the perception, that a villain could be a hero in their own way._

_"Do you understand, my dear?" The young girl watched her mother wipe the blood off of her hand and adjust her wedding ring that had caused so much damage to the young girl. "Do you understand how stupid you are? Do you understand how much of a disappointment you are?"_

_"I -" She began weakly._

_Another slap went sharply across her cheek. "I did not ask you to speak."_

_"But -" She protested._

_"Shut up! Why can't you be more like Willow?" Her mother scoffed as she straightened herself out. "She is so much more than you will ever be, but you could at least act like you know who you are."_

_"I do know who I am!" The young girl protested. "I am -"_

_"An ignorant girl who just happens to have a multimillion lien trust fund," Her mother started angrily. "You have everything in this world except for brains and are nothing short of an ungrateful brat."_

_"Why do you hate me more than Willow, Cristal, and Emmett?" She whimpered._

_The woman took her daughter sharply by her arm, twisted it hard, and then slapped the young girl multiple times across both cheeks - including the bleeding one. "You dare to speak out of turn? You are not going to get a husband like that."_

_"I don't want to get married!" She shrieked._

_"In ten years," Her mother snapped. "You will whether or not you like it!"_

_"I hate you!" The girl shouted._

_Another slap. "I wish I had been able to produce a better daughter, but I'm stuck with you. You are no better than a common maid."_

Cinder gripped the dresser tightly and her knuckles turned sharply white as she forced the memory away. She tried to remind herself that that girl was dead, but it didn't stop. Every time that Salem punished her, she was reminded of the abuse that she suffered at the hand of the woman who claimed to be her mother. Her mother who had been wrong. She wasn't some great evil - she wasn't ever going to become some great evil. She was fighting for the greater good, she was fighting the fight that was right in front of her. The real fight that was against Ozpin and his colleagues that claimed that they were the protectors of Remnant when, in reality, they were simply arrogant enough to think that they were able to defeat Salem. Salem might be evil, but Cinder didn't think that that made herself evil. She was a powerful sorceress who was going to save people and fight the real fight against Ozpin. She was going to bring people to her side that were going fight alongside with her.

She was going to save them not only from themselves, but from others. She decided that she was going to save the ones who were cast aside by society, those who were orphans, those who were victims of abuse like she had once been, those who were disabled, and of course attractive men with sadistic streaks. She decided that, while Torchwick might be cute, he wasn't her type. He was too kind underneath his facade of anger and desire for revenge though she supposed that he probably did have some righteous anger in him - otherwise he wouldn't have betrayed Schnee, Ironwood, and Goodwitch. A smirk graced her face and she continued with her glass heels as she practiced fighting. She was growing stronger every day and she knew that she was going to become a formidable enemy. If she had to kill a few people or step on a few of the little people to get to the top, then so be it. She didn't think that qualified her as evil and she also believed that her ends justify the means.

After all… She told herself. You are above any...human moral code.

* * *

_**July 27th  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**Atlas  
_**Downtown  
_**10:14 PM**_**_**_**_**_

The last few months had been turbulent at the very best. Perhaps the only consolation for them had been that their baby girl had been doing well. Yet, even while Natalie slept peacefully, chewing on her thumb, Karissa could not relax. Since the armed assault against him back at the end of April, Spencer had only gotten marginally better. He had been kept in the hospital until mid-May because the stitches broke when they were supposed to be being removed and he had also needed a transfusion. His memory of the events themselves were hazy and he could not say exactly who had shot him. Regardless, whomever had did so with skill. It had been a nasty process to remove the bullets lodged in his side and one of the ones in his chest had been dangerously close to his heart. It made her sick just to think about what had happened.

Spencer was now sound asleep beside her, his head resting on her chest. The lights in their room were dim but it seemed just a little brighter with the moon light streaming in through the blinds. Natalie was in her room just across the hall and it seemed to be peaceful. Karissa was relieved he was alright, and her fingers were gently brushing through his shaggy, shoulder-length dark hair. Her other hand was periodically fidgeting with her glasses and her scroll and computer were in her lap. She had been going through transcripts she had written down or recorded and she had been beginning to type them up. She knew she was distracted but she could not help it. Elizabeth would likely be sharp with her if the transcripts were late, she knew, and yet she also knew she was almost done and that it wouldn't help to keep trying to push through. She was tired enough as it was.

Just as she put her scroll and computer down on the nightstand, she heard Natalie start to cry. It startled her and woke up Spencer, who nearly hurt himself trying to get out of bed quickly. Karissa steadied him and pressed a gentle kiss to his cheek before going to their daughter. Natalie calmed down almost as soon as she saw her mother and was immediately soothed by her cradling her in her arms. She curled into her tightly and Karissa gently patted her back. She must have been lonely or had a nightmare. Tiredly, Karissa sat down on the floor against the wall with her little girl sleeping lightly in her arms. It felt much longer than it had been, but she was exhausted nonetheless. Spencer eventually, however weakly, took Natalie and laid her back down before taking another dose of the OxyContin the doctor had prescribed a month ago – just after he was released from the hospital.

That was another thing that worried her. She had always been nervous about newer medications and, while it was their best option, it was pricey amongst other things.

"You doing okay?" He murmured and she nodded.

She all but collapsed into their bed in exhaustion, rubbing her eyes. She all but ripped her glasses off her face and folded them up before putting them on top of her things.

"'Rissa…" He said, sighing heavily and laying down beside her. "I know things can be hard to handle, and I know –"

"Not right now," She said, letting him pull her in close and rub her back. "I just need to sleep."

"Okay," He said, still tired himself. "Night, honey."

"Night…" She mumbled, already half-asleep.

* * *

_There was something in the haze, although what it was remained unclear. A faint sound, almost like music, seemed to be coming from down a hallway. And then there was nothing. It was a freefall for the longest time – for too long – and when he finally regained his footing there was still darkness but this time there was an eerie, pale green glow. He saw the faint light from machines at the end of the hall, but he dared not go towards them. He could have sworn, for a moment, that he could make out the figure of a girl in one of them. Then the haze took over once more and the last thing he could see was haunting._

_The ensigna of Beacon Academy._

Slowly, Emmett Schnee saw his vision clear although this was not particularly comforting.

"Damn it…" He muttered, probing his forehead.

Emmeline sighed and she stood up, came over to him, and placed a gentle hand to his shoulder. "Emmett," She said tiredly. "What's wrong?"

"I have no idea who that was," He said slowly. "I'm just ill at ease. That's all. I promise."

Emmeline stared at him for a moment and then shook her head. "Oh, for the love of…"

"Emmy, please don't push it," Anxiety was slowly spreading through him and his thoughts were swirling: never mind what he may or may not have seen. He knew what he wanted to say but the lingering fear of going too fast hung over him, no matter that they had been together for a year and no matter that they had known each other for much longer. "Please."

"Fine," She said, rubbing his arms in an attempt to calm him. "But I'm worried about you. What's going on and why -"

"Emmy -" Emmett began tiredly.

"This I'm not going to let go," She told him. "What is it?"

He chose not to dwell on the vision. It made no sense to him and would make no sense to anyone. In that spirit, he decided it was meaningless and pushed himself up off the floor.

"I'm probably just stressed," He finally said, and she loosely embraced him for a moment although it was clear in her face that she did not fully believe him. "Work's…well…I'm sure Spencer could give you an idea of what it's usually like, especially this time of year."

Emmeline considered that. "Fair."

"And, honestly, I just have a lot on my mind," He added, and she sighed, although she did not press the matter. "Hell, I still can't believe I have another niece."

She smirked. "How can you not?"

"Probably because I'm only ten years older than my first niece," Emmett chuckled. "Little Courtney's only a few days old and I'm pretty sure I'm in my twenties."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "We're too young to be forgetting our age."

"I know, I know," He said in mock defeat.

Emmeline was about to respond but paused upon her scroll buzzing. While she glanced through the new messages she was getting from both Ronnie and other members of the military and, of course, the security council as necessary, Emmett was fiddling with the emerald ring in his pocket. The three minutes that passed felt more like an hour and he was more nervous than ever when she finally set her scroll down.

"Sorry about that," She said, running a hand through her hair. "It was urgent."

He managed a weak smile. "Isn't everything with the Council?"

"It honestly depends," She told him.

Emmett nodded, rubbing his neck and fidgeting with his glasses. Even his hair seemed unruly with his shoulder length white waves feeling tangled beyond belief.

"Emmy, I want to…" Emmett found himself struggling with words and she raised an eyebrow. "I want to…with…you?"

"With me what?" She replied, half amused.

He quickly took her left hand and slipped the ring onto it. Her eyes widened in surprise but she smiled.

"Say it," She said, her eyes sparkling.

"Emmy, I want to marry you," He forced out, stunned for a moment by his own coherence. "I know we've only been together just over a year, but I –"

"Yes," She said unflinchingly.

Emmett fell silent and began, once more, to struggle with his words.

"Oh God, I love you so much," He embraced her tightly and began to stroke her hair. "So much, Emmy…"

She smiled. "I love you too…" She murmured.

Perhaps things were truly looking up, for even a short time.


	27. Visions and Fighters VS Flighters

_**August 8th  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**Atlas  
_**Uptown  
_**3:13 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"I'm not quite sure about this Cinder," Roman said as he leaned onto his new weapon: Melodic Cudgel. "I mean, is this really what -"

"Roman…Roman…" Cinder said, touching his face lightly. "You grew up stealing. I'm sure a small little armed dust robbery is nothing for you. Besides," She gestured to the burly men in black behind them. "You've got the goons for brute force."

"Well…" Lighting a cigar, Roman took a draw before laughing a little. "In that case, I can deal with this pretty easily."

Grabbing him by his scarf and pulling him towards her, Roman thought that she was going to kiss him until she adjusted his black bowler hat. Readjusting his gloves after she released him, Roman smirked and straightened his white jacket before winking at her with his visible, lined green eye. The shop was a pretty standard Atlesian Dust distributor, meaning that the Schnee snowflake was on the side. Roman let out a short, low sound in anger under his breath as he thought of Emmett Schnee and Cristal. That bastard who had been on his 'team' was not be as despicable as the rest of his family, but he was pretty damn close in his book. And, of course, Cristal. He would have liked to have had her too, had she not been with Ozpin. Whatever the case, his team certainly wasn't one anymore.

"Alright," Roman said, flicking his cigar ash towards the side of the small woman who was glaring at him with her hand gripping something under the counter. "Listen to me -"

"No, you listen to me," She growled, pulling out a shotgun and pointing at him. "Take one more step towards me and I'll shoot."

Laughing a little, Roman pushed her gun in a different direction from him. "I'm not here for you or your lien. I just want the Dust."

The woman rolled her eyes. "You think I don't need the money? I need to turn a damn -"

Roman knocked her unconscious with his cane, feeling a little guilty for it for a moment before ordering the goons to steal all of the Dust in the measly shop. It wasn't much, as the place was nearly sold out anyways, but it was enough for it to make the news. That went double for the fact that the shop owner, the currently unconscious woman, was going to likely need medical attention and had her fingers still loosely wrapped around her shotgun. He supposed that the Atlas officials, particularly Ronnie Ciel, were going to be pissed and going after him soon enough but that wasn't something he couldn't handle. He had spent years stealing to keep himself sustained as a child despite his parents attempts to stop him and Lisa. It felt good to be back to doing what he did best. A smirk came over him as he sauntered out and Cinder was waiting for him with the bullhead. Things were perfect - it didn't matter whatever Cinder and her creepy ass boss wanted, it mattered that he survived.

"So, Roman…" Cinder directed one of the goons to take off before she examined the Dust that they had obtained. "Excellent…"

Giving him a half smile, Cinder kissed his cheek before shifting off. Roman blew on his bangs in irritation. He knew just as well as she did that she was trying to seduce him. Resting against the wall with Melodic Cudgel in hand, he sighed and looked around the ship as they flew out away from the city of Atlas. He was fully aware that just as they had been leaving that photographs had been taken of him, and he knew that those were going to getting back to the Atlas officials soon enough. The kingdom was going to be a thorn in his side, he had a feeling, but that seemed to be everyone that he had known. A fleeting thought passed through his mind, however, when he remembered that Nikos woman. She had been incredibly attractive, and he supposed that it was possible that he could have gotten her pregnant given the sheer number of times that they had fucked but the chances of him actually having a child out there were slim.

He wouldn't really care beyond knowing, anyways, and he had a feeling that even if that was the case that he wouldn't be listed as the father as Roman Torchwick or Dean Carson or whoever the hell he decided to be that day. That wasn't to say that he didn't want a more long standing relationship with a woman. At the moment, it wasn't looking like that would be possible, but he didn't stop himself from retaining hope. After all, hope was what had gotten him through his childhood - apart from the petty crimes and what not - and it was also what would keep him going. Apart from his new mantra, that was. Lie. Steal. Cheat. Survive. Soon enough, he figured, that would be what he did best. For now, he was going to keep his more than healthy disregard for local law enforcement and the Atlesian military that he had mostly suppressed during his time at Atlas Academy. Huntsman and huntresses were going to be a pain in the ass for him too. Either way, it looked like he chose the right side to be on. He was Roman Torchwick: he could have anything.

* * *

_**August 15th  
_**Beacon CCTS Tower  
_**Beacon Academy  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**4:12 PM**_**_**_**_**_**_

Emmett wrapped an arm protectively around his fiancée. "Ozpin -"

His brother-in-law sighed and shook his head at what he viewed to be severe misinterpretation. "I didn't mean that in that way, Emmett, and you -"

"That's exactly what you meant," Glynda snapped in spite of better judgement. "You have more than enough evidence in front of you and yet you refuse to take even the slightest bit of action." Sending a slightly narrowed look to Emmeline, she added. "Though I don't think that bringing the Atlas military to Vale was strictly necessary. I was raised in this kingdom and seeing those ships brings a lot of questions to the table."

"The Kingdom Of Vale is slipping back into duress quickly, and it's not as if the entire fucking military is here - just a small part of it." Emmeline attempted to keep her tone even. "And it wasn't on my orders. The order came from the top of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action and I happen to agree with it. The tunnels between Mountain Glenn and the City Of Vale are consistently getting breached despite the council's supposed 'action' in dealing with the situation that they are partially responsible for. The Valerian council reached out to the Atlas council for the purpose of support in dealing with the situation and the council, and I deemed it most appropriate for -"

"Which is fair," Glynda said tersely. "But you could have sent a small task force -"

"I agree with Ozpin," Qrow said with a glare to her. "And don't you think that you're just attracting more grimm by having your army in Vale?"

Emmeline scowled. "I'm not the only one and -"

"No, but you're probably going to be one of the ones that the council trusts the most," He shook his head. "Of all of the members of the Atlas military, you are going to be one of the ones that the Atlesian council shows the most favoritism towards despite the fact that you're also probably going to be one of the youngest and -"

"Shove it, Qrow." Rosalinde Varna, the headmistress of Shade Academy in Vacuo, said. "No one asked you and it's pointless to be scrutinizing the Atlesian and Valerian council's choices. And, frankly, Emmeline didn't have anything to do with that decision. Let it go."

"Rose -" He began.

"Varna, to you, Branwen." She warned him, adjusting the rose pinned in her high, tightly coiled bun.

Despite how small she was in size compared to him, she was perfectly dangerous in her own right as a huntress. Her violet eyes were sharp and never missed a beat despite her usually indifferent nature. She was not the shortest woman in the group, however, that went to Cristal who was, naturally, only 4'11''. Her sister-in-law was not much taller than her, either, at 5'2''. Glynda, however, was the tallest, naturally 6'2'' but Rose was 5'6'' and she never wore heels. Though she kept it to herself, knowing better than to say everything that she was thinking, she found it slightly amusing how Cristal was the shortest of the women and Ozpin was the tallest of the men. Ironically, neither Schnee sibling was particularly tall and it was Emmett who, at 5'11'', was two inches shorter than Qrow, who was 6'1'' and an inch taller than Leo, who was 6'0''. Irony seemed to abound everywhere in the group, in her mind. Then there was the anger. They all had it, although it was usually directed to people outside of their little circle. Not with her, though. She resented Cristal, and it was by no means because of her work.

"Speaking of Atlesian affairs…" Varna turned on Cristal with her magic pulsing in her hands. The prosecutor pulled her infant daughter tighter in her arms. "What really happened with your sister when you all were –"

"No," Cristal said shortly, trying to soothe her baby girl. "Not until you stop threatening me and my daughter."

Varna raised an eyebrow and said nothing.

"Rose," Ozpin said, pulling his nervous wife into him while she held their baby girl protectively. "We're all allies and there's no -"

"No reason? Ozpin, are you serious?" Rose looked back at Lionheart who was shifting. "What do you have to say about this?"

The man hesitated. "I…"

"Are you a double crosser?" Varna glared. "Well, are you? Or are you just too afraid to take a real position?"

"Rose, are...are..." Leo bit his lip. "Are you sure that you aren't over reacting or reading too far into things?"

"What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Rose snapped and out of the corner of her eye she saw Glynda tighten her grip on her crop.

"I mean…" Leo looked down at her pulsing hands and met her narrowed gaze. "Are you sure that you are able to...perceive things correctly at the moment? You've been stealing again, haven't you? Bribing other leaders, and you know that -"

Rose was outraged, and she had a half a mind to end him. Her voice slow, she narrowed her gaze further and when she spoke it was deadly. "You would do well to remember your place. And, because I know you're going to ask it, I support the choice that the Atlesian council has made and the Valerian Council has been involved in. The reports of late from both of the councils have been concerning. They not only include information about this...Roman Torchwick and have been more than informative as well as -"

"The accuracy -" Leonardo argued.

"All of the reports that I've forwarded to this group have been verified, I assure you!" Emmeline cut across the man, irritated that that could even be questioned. It wasn't as if she was unused to her judgement being called into question, but this was ridiculous and therefore pissed her off. "The recent reports on the state of Vale – that both James and I have done – were concerning to the council and they took what they deemed to be the most appropriate course of action!"

"Since your father's death, it seems the Council's been acting more and more paranoid -" He interjected.

"Paranoid?" She demanded, wrenching free from Emmett's tight grasp. "Excuse me, but have you looked in the goddamn mirror? You are, out of all of us in this room, the most afraid of Salem! And don't you dare drag my family into this! I don't have that much authority and, even if I did -"

"The Que -" Leonardo started.

Everyone's eyes narrowed further.

Leonardo sighed as he finished. "Salem is dangerous, you have no -"

"Don't I?" She asked, a hand on her hip while Emmett came over to her and pulled her back into his arms. "I know full well how dangerous the woman is. Have you forgotten that she controls the creatures of grimm?"

"Emmeline -" He tried.

"LCDR Ciel," Emmett insisted, angered at the nerve of the man and nervous about how far he was pushing his fiancée's temper. "And she's right, her -"

"Emmett -" Glynda started reproachfully.

"Glynda, he's -" Emmett protested.

"I know that perfectly well, thank you for spelling it out for me." She snapped, with a sharp look at everyone. "Honestly, I don't know how we ever get anything done when I consider how often we're at each other's throats."

There was a temporary silence, but Rose nodded, glaring at Ozpin. "And you," She said. "You don't even try to stop us."

"Glynda's right, though," James said, meeting her gaze for a moment in which her eyes softened.

"Well," Emmett glared at Leo for calling Atlas' judgement into question. "I still -"

"The Atlas military has no business in Vale - what do the people think?" Leo stated, but he didn't continue when he saw that Emmeline was clenching her fists.

Emmett pulled her as close to him as possible and caught her hair in between his fingers. "It's fine, really Emmy, it's fine…" He whispered, trying to calm her. Despite knowing that it was a risk to reassure her further than that, he kissed her gently before finishing. "Emmy, there is nothing wrong with your judgement. You did what you thought was right and you were, more or less, backed into a corner. You told the truth and they acted accordingly. I know these aren't easy calls, but you're doing what you think is right."

The anxious silence that followed only seemed to highlight the tension between them all.

* * *

_**August 25th  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**United Kingdom Of Atlas  
_**Downtown  
_**11:42 PM**_**_**_**_**_

_A girl with wavy blonde hair and piercing eyes turned around in shock. Her green eyes were vibrant and were made even more distinctive by her thin, round glasses, glasses that looked similar to Glynda's though they were more rounded than Glynda's which were smaller and more pointed towards the top. This young woman was pale and was wearing a grey turtleneck blouse that was tight and paired with a few thin gold necklaces. These both, in turn, were matched with a black skirt, leggings, and boots. She was also wearing a long necklace that hung with a dark pendant at the center. The jewel was a very dark blue that glinted and seemed almost to have the perfect cat's eye effect._

_There was also a gold ring on her left middle finger, shaped like a blooming flower with a pearl in the center. She seemed damn near hyperventilation, too. Then, despite the Atlesian Knights guarding the door, she buzzed into it where an older James was lecturing four girls. One them with white hair that looked similar to Willow. Was this Winter or another child? The blonde girl adopts a hard look on her face, but it softens to one of sympathy when she looks to the slightly busty girl with long, thick hair who is sitting in both nervousness and a little bit of shame. Turning around and sighing irritably, James sent the dark-haired girl a glare and that was when it became clear that this wasn't some random girl. This was one of his and Glynda's daughters._

_"Cate," James looked at his daughter sternly who only hardened her expression and crossed her arms, adjusting the glistening, jeweled shotgun on her hip of habit rather than aggression. "Apart from how you got in here, what are you –"_

_"Ivy gave me the code," She muttered, restraining herself from fighting too fast._

_"Cate," James shook his head while his daughter folded her arms across her chest. "You can't do things like this. You're studying law. You know that."_

_Regardless, the young woman, incensed at what she was clearly seeing to be injustice, began to scream in a way that seemed distinctly reminiscent of her mother._

_"Daddy, you can't disqualify her!" She exclaimed, her hair giving the appearance of almost being on fire with the lighting. "She didn't do it unprovoked! I swear to -"_

_"Cate -" He said, his voice sounding exhausted._

_"Yang would never hurt anyone ruthlessly! Ivy could probably tell you better than anybody!" Slight tears of anger laced the corners of her eyes. "Please!"_

_"Even if that's true, the world has already drawn its own conclusions!" James returned the sharp look and tone to her despite the fact that it was clear on his face that he didn't want to. Turning back to the blonde - Yang - who looked ready to protest again, James sighed. "As I said before, you are disqualified."_

_"But General Ironwood -" The girl with the white hair protested._

_"Miss Schnee -" He said, shaking his head._

"_Dad," Cate said quietly. "This isn't going to stop Her."_

_James glanced to her, shocked for a moment, and then shook his head._

"_You were never supposed to know," He finally said. "And I'm sorry you had to."_

Jolting awake, Emmett restrained himself from screaming. His breathing was heavy, and he pulled himself upwards, rubbing his arm. He couldn't believe that he had one of those dreams again. The dreams that were almost visions but that he wasn't quite sure if they were. Looking over at his sleeping fiancée, Emmett sighed in relief that she was still alright and sleeping peacefully. He knew that things were stressful for her right now. Aside from the usual shit she had to deal with various parts of the council, they were both nervous about their wedding set for the end of October. Falling backwards, Emmett ran his hand through his hair as he tried to force himself to relax so that he would be able to fall back asleep without her knowing that he had a dream like that again. He didn't get his wish. Feeling him shift that much and being an already light sleeper, Emmeline Ciel lifted her head up and looked at him in concern before sighing heavily.

"It happened again," She said gently, knowing that there was no way that he was awake unless that was the case. Her eyes a little wide, she took his hand and pulled him into her with a kiss to his forehead. "Emmett, tell me about it this time."

He sighed. "Honey, it's okay. I promise it's nothing."

"Emmett," She said, her voice just a little bit sharper. "I swear to god, please just tell me -"

"One of those dreams where I'm not sure if it's just a dream or if it's a vision," Emmett admitted quietly. "Probably the latter. It was too detailed to be a dream and -"

"Emmett -" She began, trying to comfort him.

"It had to be over nineteen years from now," Emmett said tiredly. "Because it was clearly Vale - Beacon - and it was definitely after September and Glynda -"

Emmeline incredulous. "Glynda?"

"And James' eldest…I'm sure…" He trailed off, for a moment, struggling with words. "There was a disqualification – something happened with a Vytal Festival, I think – and I could have sworn she knew the truth of…"

"Emmett, it's just a dream," She murmured, resting her head on his shoulder. "And it doesn't mean -"

"It had to be a vision -" Emmett said, his fear visible in his voice.

"Emmett, stop worrying about your visions," She said softly. "Please. For now, they're just that."

Sighing heavily, Emmett pulled her close and kissed her deeply. "I love you."

"I love you too," She said, sighing blissfully as he continued to draw her close. "Emmett…"

"You really do know how to bring me down from my fears, don't you?" Emmett nuzzled her neck and brought her into another kiss before letting her rest in his arms while they distracted each other with conversation as best as they could.

* * *

_**September 3rd  
_**2nd Floor  
_**Bushwood Apartment Complex  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**11:14 PM**_**_**_**_**_**_

"Damn it!" Glynda stared at the photographs that Emmett had forwarded to her of Ashlynn - Cinder - and Dean - Torchwick. "You've got to be kidding me!"

Caitlin had only just fallen asleep with her bear wrapped tightly in her arms on the floor while Ivy crawled around a little, occasionally poking her sister. It wasn't all that long before they'd be a year, but the stress of dealing with two little girls was still getting to her, and she knew her work was mounting on her. Setting down her scroll in annoyance, Glynda sighed as she watched Ivy curiously look at her sleeping sister's feet. It wasn't long before Ivy was falling asleep as well and, in an attempt to be semi productive, Glynda brought her scroll over and half collapsed into her bean bag near where the girls were sleeping. Though she knew that it was going to piss her off, she looked over the photographs again and admitted, to herself at least, that both of them looked like who they were convinced they were. It was a complicated situation, but it didn't help that the meeting on the fifteenth of August had gone poorly.

Ever since then, although it had been building before then, Emmett was growing more noticeably protective of his fiancée – something that Glynda and James both knew would be stronger after they were married. Of course, the other factor that influenced that even more were his visions that were scaring him. It wasn't easy for either of them. Emmeline had been complaining to her the other day about how Emmett was convinced by his visions that she was in danger but admitted that she was relieved by his concern. Emmett had been forthcoming about that, even to the point of admitting to it being the cause of more than one argument between them because of his fear. The two of them had been around increasingly often which, for most purposes, wasn't a bad thing in and of itself but it was stressful when the two of them fought.

Picking up Caitlin as she stirred, Glynda tried to keep her asleep. The little girl, thankfully, simply curled into her mother's embrace and, although everything about Glynda felt cold, didn't even squirm while she was brought closer. It was a relief that the little girl was being so calm – typically, she leaned towards impatience and being a diva despite not being even a year. Already the girl had shown dislike for clothes that weren't pink. As her mother, Glynda could tell that her eldest daughter was not going to be the most passive person but that was a relief. The fact that she was already showing signs of being considerably temperamental seemed to be an indication of a strong personality. Ivy was similar in many ways, but she was calmer overall. It was going to be interesting to see how those traits ended up expressed later. They were such sweethearts, and both her and James were happy for that.

Sighing, she took both girls and laid them down in their room. Both of them were still asleep. It was late, at any rate, and the fact that it was going to be a little longer before James got home made it all the more worse. He had been in Atlas for the last three days and she had been continuing to work on investigations while doing her best to handle her life in general and the girls. She missed him being around but at the same time she was annoyed with him for not being home already. Tension had been building in her life for a while for a variety of reasons but the primary one was her personal life. It was hard for her, sometimes, being a mother but she still loved them dearly. She didn't want to admit it, but she had cried last night after the girls had fallen asleep because of the stress but also because she and James had gotten into an argument over the line about their schedules.

She was still a bit sick, and it was worrying to her. She didn't want the girls to get sick again, and she was stressed by the fight she had gotten in with James. She wanted him to be around to comfort her, rather than the two of them fighting. Pacing while checking on the girls every so often, she tried to force herself to relax the physical tension going through her. The isolations helped a little but not enough and her breathing exercises only made her feel lightheaded. Taking a novel off her pile, she took a blanket and curled up on the couch with it. Remember Me How I Was. Two sisters who were closer than close before one of them got taken by a demon and the journey to hell and back that the one left behind made alone killed her and, although it wasn't a happy end to their stories, the two sisters ended up tortured in hell together. It was about halfway through the novel that James came in. She didn't notice him until she felt him sit down next to her and push her slowly slipping glasses back up her face.

"You okay?" He asked her quietly as she leaned into him after marking her page and setting the book aside. "I know things haven't been easy, but I'm here now."

"Haven't been easy? Are you kidding me? Things the last few days have been worse than simply not easy!" Glynda shook her head and she gently pushed him away and began to pace again. "James, you haven't been home and in that time the twins have been sick, I've appointments because I've gotten sick, and -"

"I -" He started.

"I don't think you know -" Glynda snapped.

"I don't," James stopped her and she sighed irritably, treading her fingers through her bangs. "I don't know what you've had to deal with and I -"

"I -" She began irritably.

"Glyns, I'm not going anywhere again until January. That I can promise." Kissing her forehead, he pulled her into a light embrace as he knew that she wasn't in the mood for much more than a little gentle affection. "I'll be here to help with the girls. I know they're not always easy and that it's been a rough week for you."

She sighed. "James, I -"

"I shouldn't have gotten mad at you last night for taking Oz's side," He said, biting his lip. "You know Vale better than I do and beyond that there's nothing wrong with -"

"James -" She said, probing her forehead.

"I'm sorry, Glynda, I really am -" He said quickly.

"Shut up," She said, though her voice was soft. "It's not entirely your fault -"

"I shouldn't have -" He protested.

Pulling him in close to her, she brought her lips down on his in a passionate kiss. "I might be a little angry with you, but I know that you do what you think is right. Besides...I still love you."

"I shouldn't have provoked you." He said, and she sighed deeply. "I already knew what you thought and...I...I really hate fighting with you."

"Well...I don't exactly find joy in it." She smiled a little before kissing him again.

James hesitated but then spoke. "Glynda, last night, what happened -"

"I don't want to talk about it -" She started.

"Glynda -" He said.

"I told you," She said tiredly. "I don't -"

"Did you end up crying?" He asked her quietly, almost not wanting to. The slight shift and the pause on her end said it all. "Glynda, I...I'm sorry."

"I know…" She said, glancing at her hands.

"I…" Unable to think of anything else to do, James pulled her into him tightly and rubbed her back while she fought back tears though he felt some regardless. "I really do love you, Glyns…"

"I love you too…" Her voice was almost inaudible, but it was enough for him to feel relief that she wasn't pushing him away

"Glynda…" He said quietly.

"Let's just let it go," She told him. "Please."

Some of her stray locks brushed against the metal of his neurotransmitter for his right side and the others tickled his forehead and the sides of his face. His metal arm wrapped around her to bring her closer and she didn't protest, giving into her emotions. She wasn't sure if there was a right decision for how to handle things. They both had messed up and they had both admitted to it. It wasn't the time for that and, besides, she wanted to stay like this. The feeling of the cool metal of his right arm wrapped around her was comforting for the fact that it was normal. Her eyes closed soon enough and, as she fell asleep, he brought her close and eventually drifted off as well with her still tightly in his arms in a moment of temporary bliss that seemed, for just a moment, like it could last.


	28. Catch Me As I Fall

**_September 26th_**

**_2nd Floor_**

**_Bushwood Apartment Complex_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_9:52 PM_**

Half collapsing on their bed after getting the girls to fall asleep, Glynda smiled before carefully letting her hair down and setting her hair ties aside on the small table next to the bed. She laid there for several minutes with her eyes closed while she relaxed and James played with her pale, blonde waves that were freely floating around. It was a relief to her that she was able to get a moment of calm with him. The girls had been a little hyperactive, though she supposed that they deserved the chance since it was their birthday - their first birthday. It was nice to have a fairly relaxed day. Neither of them had had to focus on their work and they got the chance to focus on themselves and their family.

Sighing, she pushed her glasses up and forced herself to open her eyes. James was still playing with her hair and she gave him a soft smile as she rolled over to face him. He cupped her cheek and kissed her forehead, sensing the residual nerves that she seemed to carry with her most of the time these days. Seeing her suffer, especially if she chose to do so without telling him, was harder than anything else but it was also hard to accept that sometimes she just wasn't going to talk about something. He loved her too much to press it. The last thing he wanted to do was upset her. He would wait until she was ready. Time wasn't something he was particularly concerned about. He would have waited for her even if she had had wanted space instead of getting married. Taking her hand and squeezing it, he didn't speak as he knew that she would talk if she wanted to.

She curled into him and let her head rest on his shoulder while his arms were wrapped around her tight. "I'm glad the girls had a good day. Honestly, I can't believe that we're already twenty three and they're a year."

"A lot has changed, hasn't it?" James smiled. "How have things been at work?"

She paused for a moment in consideration.

"Emmett, in his unending wisdom, decided to interrupt a class and caused an entire lecture hall to become distracted by saying the words 'if you try hard enough, you can light anything on fire' for seemingly no reason," She shook her head. "At least, that's how it felt until I remembered the time that he almost set our dorm on fire with my curling iron."

"I don't know why he put it in the sink while it was still plugged in," James remarked. "Although, in fairness, I still can't believe that he snuck back in after being out far too late either."

"It was a miracle he didn't get caught," She laughed a bit at the thought. "I'm sure that would have gone over well."

"Well, at the very least, he didn't light anything on fire today," James smirked. "That we know of."

"Oh, he wouldn't," Glynda sighed. "You know how much he cares for the girls."

"I know," He said. "It was pretty cute watching Cate grab at his nose and glasses."

"Or watching Ivy stick her face in cake," Glynda added with a smile. "And, of course, throw it at Trey and Mike."

"Your brothers have infinite patience," He noted. "I don't know how they do it, I really don't."

"They have their quirks," She told him. "I'm the oldest, believe me, I know. Just last year Trey got pulled over because he had strung Christmas lights onto his car. Apparently, the cop told him that, while he admired his holiday spirit, it's illegal to put flashing lights on cars without permission from the DMV. And Mike's fifteen. No one can be fifteen without doing something stupid at least once."

"And that is yet another time from which I'm sure Emmett has a lot of hilarious stories," James put in. "I have a feeling marriage is going to calm him down significantly."

"I would tend to agree with that," Glynda said, rubbing her eyes tiredly. "He worries about Emmeline a lot. I can tell, and, honestly, he's even said as much."

James pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead. "You should get some sleep, Glyns."

She nodded weakly and set her glasses aside. "Love you…" She murmured.

"I love you too," He squeezed her hand and it was not too long after that she fell asleep.

The girls, as it happened, were mercifully asleep themselves. All things considered, it was a miracle they had both begun sleeping through the night. Beside him, it was nice to see that for once Glynda didn't look tired or stressed even in sleep. After about an hour of going through files on his scroll, he too closed his eyes after setting his work aside and taking one more look at her peaceful, sleeping form. It was a relief to know that there was a time when she could be relaxed. Nothing was particularly easy or relaxed of late but seeing just a little bit of that gave hope wings. She didn't like to hope for too much, knowing that her dreams had been crushed in the past but, for now, she was letting herself hope for her family to be okay.

Even before the girls' first birthday, her first brother had stopped by more than once and was more than excited to get to spend some time with his nieces again even though he didn't always have a lot of time. Trey Goodwitch had always been afflicted with a knack for getting into trouble and that didn't bode well for him having time. On the other hand, her second brother, Mike Goodwitch, was trying to be around more and more frequently and was typically the one watching the girls when there were meetings with Ozpin. He was only fifteen, but he was thrilled to be an uncle.

As for Emmett, he had seemed on edge after every meeting. He was almost always fidgeting with his glasses, and his hair had become less and less pristine. It was now past his shoulders, and he seemed to care little about it. He was worried, and he, like the rest of them, had every right to be. And, since her daughter had been born in July, Cristal seemed to be as anxious as her brother. She never let little Carleigh out of her sight, it seemed, and Ozpin had become extraordinarily defensive of her and their family. Cristal had taken leave from work until January, and had been in Vale since June, but even seeing that things were okay didn't make her feel better. It didn't make any of them feel better.

It felt as if things were always going to be teetering on the edge of being horribly, horribly wrong.

* * *

**_October 12th_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Unified States of Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:20 PM_**

"Chrissy, really, you don't have to keep…" Emmeline sighed. "I look fine."

Cristal hesitated. "Are you sure you don't want me to fix your hair one last time?"

"Have you seen your brother's?" Emmeline replied with a smirk. "I really don't think it makes a difference."

She considered it but nodded. "Alright," She said, stepping over to her daughter who was cooing in her carrier. "Hi, honey. Boop."

The baby girl giggled when her mother tapped her nose.

"She's adorable," Emmeline said, smoothing out her dress. "I think she might be the happiest baby I've ever seen, too."

"Clearly you haven't seen her when she's hungry," Cristal laughed and picked up her daughter, who was still giggling. "Isn't that right, Carleigh?"

The baby girl reached the little she needed to and grabbed her mother's pearl necklace.

"You can't wear that until you're older," Cristal told her with an indulgent smile. "Now, come on. We're going to go find daddy so we're not late for uncle Emmett's wedding."

Emmeline couldn't help but smile as she watched her slip out of the room, yet she found herself a bit saddened once she was alone. When she glanced into the mirror, she saw herself and it hurt when she remembered, for not the first time, that her father never lived long enough to see this. The two of them had been close and, even if their relationship had been contentious at times, she had always thought he would see her wedding. Anger bubbled up in her as she remembered the day he had been killed, but she pushed it aside. In less than an hour she and Emmett would be married, and the last thing she wanted was to focus on loss. After all, Spencer had happily agreed to walk his sister down the aisle, even if (and perhaps, in part, because) it had pissed off Ronnie.

"You ready, sis?" Spencer teased when she stepped out. He playfully batted at her arm and she rolled her eyes, half-heartedly doing so back. "Oh, come on! You're not even trying."

"I'm not going to try," She replied, gesturing to his wife and little daughter further down. "That would be a terrible example to set for your daughter."

"Nattie's fine," Spencer glanced towards the director, who nodded shortly. "Alright," He said, lowering his voice a little. "It's time."

There was no music – something she had insisted on – but everyone still turned towards her when she stepped out from behind the curtains. Spencer gallantly (and far too dramatically) marched slowly with his arm interloped with his sister's. Emmett, at the other end of the room, looked happier than any of them had ever seen him. Meeting his gaze, Emmeline felt her spirits lighten considerably. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see Glynda and James with their girls and beside them were Cristal, Ozpin, and baby Carleigh. Emmeline's own family was directly across from them although Ronnie looked almost calculating. Willow, Jacques, and Winter had come too, and seemed far more uplifted than she had expected. Elizabeth Morell was there too, and she seemed rather uncomfortable beside Ronnie even if he smiled at her. They had all come down from Atlas for this, and Emmeline was, once again, relieved to be away from her kingdom. Yet Ronnie, it seemed, had other things in mind.

It was for that reason, however briefly, Emmeline couldn't help but wonder what her brother could possibly be planning.

Spencer loosely embraced his sister when they reached Emmett and the priest. He sat down quickly and took his year-old daughter into his arms. The little girl seemed transfixed by her aunt and kept excitedly chirping something that sounded close to Emily in between tugging on Ivory Ironwood-Goodwitch's hair. The couple was now facing each other and Emmeline could not help but smile. The priest opened his book and was ready to begin but, just a sentence in, found himself interrupted by a very excited, year-old Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch.

"Father Dan!" She exclaimed bubbly, her little blonde curls bouncing while she ran towards the alter. "I here, I here!"

Glynda quickly swooped up her daughter and sent them all an apologetic look but he only laughed along with Emmett and Emmeline.

After that, she could hardly focus on his words. Her hands kept spinning the small ring they held, and she could see Emmett doing the same. Her thoughts were still swirling but, as he would later admit, his were too. Just an hour prior Winter had popped into his dressing room to say hello, but, in the conversation that followed, had let slip something he definitely hadn't been meant to know quite yet. Willow was pregnant. Under normal circumstances, Emmett would have been thrilled to know he was going to have another niece or nephew, but he had been more stunned that his sister hadn't told him. He supposed that their relationship had been more contentious over the last two years, but he had never thought she would keep something from him.

What had shocked him more, though, was that Jacques had bothered to come. He had also been nothing but calm and polite to him, Cristal, the Ciels, and the Ironwoods. Even Ozpin didn't seem to bother him despite some of the comments he had made when he had learned that Cristal married him. It was uncanny, to say the very least. Glynda and James' gentle teasing, though, had taken away most of his worries. Yet the thought lingered in the back of his mind that his brother-in-law was up to something and it had been maddening up until he had seen Emmeline step out. All he had wanted to do since then was hold her in his arms. He was nervous, they all were, but today was a small pause. There was no threat, not then, and it was the brief moment of repose that struck him the most. Maybe, despite everything in the world, there could be moments where it did not matter.

Moments from which they could move forward.

"Emmett Arthur Schnee," The priest said calmly and with a smile. "Do you take Emmeline Cecilia Ciel as your wife, to love and care for her as long as you both shall live?"

Emmett nodded, gently sliding the emerald ring onto her finger. "I do."

He turned to Emmeline. "Emmeline Cecilia Ciel, do you take Emmett Arthur Schnee as your husband, to love and care for him as long as you both shall live."

She delicately took his hand. "I do," She murmured, sliding the ring onto his finger.

"With the power vested in me, I declare the two of you bonded in holy matrimony," He closed his book and lowered his hands. "You may kiss."

Emmett embraced her tightly and pressed a surprisingly chaste kiss to her lips.

"My sweet wife…" He whispered, an arm tightly around her as the walked out towards the reception hall. "I love you so much."

Emmeline smiled. "I know you do."

"Cate…" Ivy yelled, chasing her sister in front of them while Glynda and James quickly swooped up their little girls. "You make a mess!"

Caitlin threw some rose petals that she had clenched in her fists (and presumably snatched from a nearby basket) at her sister. "Ta da!" She declared triumphantly.

"This is what you're getting yourself into," Glynda told Emmett, holding her squirming daughter. "Cate, honey, not now."

The little girl pouted but then curled tightly into her mother.

"They're such sweethearts," Emmeline smiled. "I'm sure we'll be fine."

"We'll figure it out," Emmett promised, giving her a squeeze. "And I'll always be here for you."

"Boop!" Ivy shrieked, tugging on his hair.

Emmett laughed and tapped her nose. "Boop."

* * *

**_November 19th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:19 PM_**

Elizabeth Morell was laying down, almost curled into herself, and looking out into the glittering night sky. Atlas was always beautiful during the winter months, so long as one didn't travel too far north, and seeing the transports fly outside was a comfort to her. It was a reminder that things were still normal, at least, to an extent. The shattered moon was faint, covered in a faint haze that seemed to tease the promise of snow although, in the mid-south of the kingdom, it was unlikely for another few weeks. She was tired, she knew, but she had been trying to fall asleep for over an hour and hadn't been able to. If she were being fully honest with herself, she knew exactly who to blame.

That woman, that amber eyed woman who called herself Cinder had been in her apartment more times than she would ever admit. It was never welcome, and it was always agonizing. Elizabeth knew her colleague, Neale, had drawn her into this and had done so too quickly for her to back out even though she knew what was happening. In the last few months alone, Elizabeth felt as if she had been skinned raw in every sense but the literal and there was a part of her that wished she could hide. Of course, how could she hide from something like this? She knew not what to do, but she knew how to do it. She was not entirely powerless, but she was terrified.

And, damn it, Ronnie Ciel had been right all along.

Elizabeth had never fully trusted Neale. The woman had been reserved about her ideals at best and often voted on such extremes that people were able to accuse her of being a warmonger. Elizabeth had been among them. Still, Neale outranked her and, if she were ever hoping to have a chance at being the chair of the security council, she needed to have at least some professional association with her. She had known she needed Neale's favor as much as she needed Admiral Winchester's. When Ronnie had pulled her aside to warn her, she had taken it with a grain of salt. He had always driven her mad, whether it were because they had once been engaged or simply because he was a well-liked senator that had built a name for himself. She had not thought she would be in the position she was now, and the reality of it was horrifying.

A few hours before, she had consolidated all of the information she had that proved Neale to be involved in a conspiracy. Admittedly, she had bent the rules to access some of the more highly classified documents but she needed them as evidence. The rest of it she could only give personal testimony to, but she could incriminate her by the morn. That was what she fully intended to do, no matter what the personal cost was. She could not continue to live like this, and the thought of Cinder made her skin crawl. She was terrified that the woman would try to kill her for this, but she no longer had a choice. She felt morally and legally obligated to turn over what she had.

That was especially true, considering that it proved Neale had been involved in the attacks the last September that had killed thousands of citizens and President Ciel.

"Please, please forgive me," She softly prayed. "I can't stop the fire, but I can say the words I need to in order to…"

She trailed off, feeling sick. Her hands had been shaking non-stop for what felt like hours and it had nothing to do with the slowly dropping temperatures outside. No, this was something far more profound. There were fears eating away at her, and nothing felt quite right. Elizabeth was prepared, oh she knew exactly what she was going to do and how she was going to do it but her terror was not lessened. She still had not decided on when, but it was going to be before the year was out. She was certain of it. After all, she could not keep this close to her chest forever.

Not when she knew it would eat her alive.


	29. Say You're Here

**_November 28th_**

**_Patch_**

**_7:34 PM_**

"Oh, come on," Summer Rose followed her only female teammate around the small home the four of them shared in Patch. "You're going to be such a great mother!"

"Summer," Raven said, sending her a pointed look. "Tai and I only told you that a few hours ago and you have not shut up since then."

She pouted. "But you kept it from me for over a month."

"Are you trying to be a pain in the ass?" Raven shook her head. "You are proving exactly why it was a good idea to keep this from you."

Summer set her hands to her hips. "Well," She huffed. "That was uncalled for!"

"Oh, no, it was called for," Raven muttered, reaching for the kettle. "Especially, if I might add, because you told Qrow."

"He's your brother," Summer protested. "And our teammate! He had a right to know!"

"I disagree," She replied, irritably warming her tea.

"How come?" Summer crossed her arms. "He's your brother."

"Summer, don't go poking at her," Tai rolled his eyes and stepped into the room with a casual swagger to his step. "This team's got enough problems without us going out of our way to get into fights."

She sighed. "I wasn't trying to do that."

"I'm just being cautious," Tai replied. "Oh, is that tea?"

Raven sent him a look that seemed to imply he was stupid.

"May I have some?" He amended, and she nodded shortly. "Thank you, dear."

Raven said nothing and merely held her cup in her hands, seemingly to warm them.

"So, how was Vale?" Summer pulled herself up onto the counter and eyed Tai intently. "Nothing blew up, did it? Or did Qrow get in an argument with James Ironwood again?"

Tai shrugged. "If he did, I heard nothing about it. 'Course, I was pretty busy. Qrow was too, actually."

"I'm sure he was," Raven said dryly. "Getting busy, no doubt."

Summer gasped. "Raven!"

"Oh, grow up," She sent her a disdainful look. "Sex is a natural part of life, Summer."

"You still didn't have to…" She groaned, tilting her head back and staring at the cabinet a few inches above her. "You could have been more discreet! Euphemisms exist for a reason!"

Raven scowled. "Ironically, they're also the reason that presidents are able to win the favor of the people in Atlas. They never say a damn thing straight, do they?"

"Cut them some slack," Summer sighed dramatically and inclined her head towards her. "All politicians do that, you know. Besides, it's not as if Atlas hasn't dealt with some horrible things recently, or, at least, recently enough."

"True," Raven agreed, finally taking a sip on her tea. "But I am of the opinion that Atlas will never get over this. There will be another tragedy in the coming years, I guarantee you, and Atlas will continue to engage in this…vengeance, if you will against the terrorists who, I can also guarantee you, are only pawns in a much larger game."

"That's lovely," Summer said, shaking her head. "Raven, your pessimism really isn't giving anyone credit for strength, for –"

"I am not going to give credit to anyone," Raven paused and nonchalantly continued to sip her tea. "See, Summer, if you don't question everything around you, if you trust –"

"What you're about to say lays the very foundation for the end of humanity," Summer replied, her hair looking almost as if it were on fire. "Which I happen to know because you have said it before."

"Oh dear Lord…" Tai muttered, running a hand through his unusually greasy hair.

"It does not," Raven pursed her lips and harshly set down her tea. "According to you, whatever our misdeeds, whatever lies we might tell others, we can trust each other because of the knowledge we know. That's a lie."

"No, it isn't!" Summer hopped off the counter and stormed towards her. "We just happen to know more than other people! It's the same as the morality of killing the enemy but not our allies! We just happen to know more than –"

"Summer, you are suggesting that anything can be justified by taking the view of others as the enemy," Raven looked at her disdainfully. "I may have my own enemies, but, at the very least, I base my judgement on their actions rather than some asinine –"

"How about we don't?" Tai stepped in between his partner and Summer, gently pushing them away from each other. "Does anyone want to hear the pleasant story I have from Vale?"

"Nice feel, Tai," Summer said with a grin, brushing off her breasts from where he had moved her.

Raven smacked him upside the head.

"Summer, that was not what I was trying to do," Tai sent her a pointed look. "I was trying to stop you from getting a fight with Raven and potentially hurting her and –"

"Yeah, yeah," Summer said, blushing awkwardly.

"Anyways," Tai said, rubbing his head. "I ran into Oz the other day, after the Vale Police Department and I dealt with a recent slew of robberies. It's complicated, but we can talk about that later."

"Get to the point," Raven told him.

Truthfully, she wasn't angry with him and was more annoyed with Ozpin. Even the mere mention of him could set her off, some days.

"He was with his daughter, you know, the baby," Tai went on. "Don't tell me you forgot?"

Raven only scowled but Summer perked up.

"Ooo…" She said, clasping her hands together happily. "Is this a story about a cute kid?"

Tai nodded. "Anyways, he brought her into the coffee shop and I decided to join him since he was alone. Cristal's apparently sick and working on a case from home."

"Cristal," Raven muttered. "I both admire and can't stand her."

Tai glanced to her but continued as if she had said nothing.

"Their baby is adorable," Tai said with a smile. "Basically, the happiest baby I've ever seen. I think her name's Carleigh, but, regardless, she was giggly and bubbly the whole time they were there. I mean, Oz had to pull a bottle out of his bag at one point, but she calmed down pretty quickly once she started eating. What I thought was hilarious about the whole thing was one of the stories Oz told me."

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Which was about…"

"So, apparently Emmett and James were babysitting her the other day and Emmett wasn't sure what to feed her," Tai started laughing as he went on. "James had to tell him that a tiny baby can't have straight carrots, and he pulled a bottle out of the fridge but thought it smelled funny. So he and James had an argument about it and, when Cristal came in, Emmett told James that he was worried about nothing. Then, and here's where it gets bad, Emmett declared that he would taste it before his niece did which ended in Cristal screaming at him not to drink her milk unless he wants to get his ass kicked."

"Yikes," Summer said.

"Hmmph," Raven said dryly. "That sounds about right."

"What sounds about right?" Qrow said gruffly, shrugging off his bag and scythe.

"You don't want to know," Summer warned him, then blowing him a kiss. "How you doing, Qrow?"

"Better now that I've seen you," He replied with a grin. "I think you know why."

Her smirk said it all and both Tai and Raven grimaced at the thought.

* * *

**_December 1st_**

**_Government Offices of the Atlesian Council_**

**_Department of Justice_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:53 AM_**

"Miss Morell," Blake Adel, the young head of the Department of Justice, said, staring at her in shock. "What's going on? I didn't expect that –"

"I need to give a deposition to the Council," Elizabeth said, looking terribly nervous. "Regarding a matter of serious national security."

He shut the door and quickly motioned for her to sit down.

"My God," He said as she pulled out several hefty files and a flash drive before forfeiting her scroll. "You were not kidding, were you?"

She sighed heavily. "I can prove to you that Rebecca Neale is conspiring against the kingdom of Atlas and was at least partially responsible for Edward Ciel's death alongside Cinder Fall, the latter of whom is more commonly known as Ashlynn Schnee."

Blake stared at her in horror. "Are you serious?"

Elizabeth's hands shook but she nodded. "Rebecca Neale has been trying to involve me in it too. She made a threat to my life."

Blake swallowed hard and began to look through the files. "This is damning, Miss Morell."

"I had to report it," She said, her voice breaking. "Things are bad enough, and I can't keep this quiet. She tried to involve me a few months ago, and, aside from my personal safety being at stake, it would be a crime to keep this silent."

He paused on one page and took in a sharp breath.

"This began at the end of March?" He looked up incredulously. "Did you reveal anything to these people?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "No, but I've paid the price for it."

He leaned back against his chair, raising an eyebrow, and chewing on the tip of his pen.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," He finally said. "Regardless, I'm obliged to. What did they do to you?"

Elizabeth hesitated. "I submitted photographs in that file."

"Which the rest of the Council and the senate and commons will review later alongside this testimony," Blake tapped his pen against the camcorder on his desk. "I always have this going in my office for a reason, Miss Morell."

Elizabeth swallowed hard. "By Neale, I was beaten and scarred."

She nervously shrugged off her blazer, her entire body quivering. On her inner arms were a few deep scars and Blake Adel let out a low sigh of abject horror.

"I have others on my legs and back," She said softly. "I also have a permanent bruise near my spine from Cinder."

"How did that happen?" Blake asked, struggling to maintain his professional composure.

She bit her lip. "She beat me with a rod that I'm almost certain had fire dust within it."

He grimaced. "My God."

"There's more," She said weakly, forcing herself to meet his gaze unflinchingly. "Cinder also violently raped me on more than one occasion."

He did not shut off the camcorder but the silence that fell between them was as cold as death itself. It was as if the air had been sucked out of the room.

"I'll submit all of this to the senate and commons," Blake told her. "And this matter will face the gravity it deserves. Thank you, Miss Morell, for being brave enough to come forward."

She shook her head. "If I'm so brave, then why do I feel like such a sinner instead of a saint?"

* * *

**_December 13th_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_12:46 AM_**

_Fuck, fuck, fuck! _

Cinder broke the closest thing to her and, thankfully, it wasn't particularly valuable. She had just received word that Rebecca Neale had been indicted by the Atlas council was fully aware of their meager involvement in the attacks that killed Edward Ciel and thousands of people. As it happened, Elizabeth Morell had cracked and handed over more than enough evidence to the council to prove conspiracy. It seemed Neale was no longer going to be useful to her, and, with the kingdom on high alert, she could not punish Morell for what she did. That woman was, now, going to be a thorn in her side as long as she lived, wasn't she? Allowing her anger to take her over, Cinder picked up a raw crystal of fire Dust and hurled it against the wall before she bent it to her will. Every time that she felt angry, or hopeless, or upset, it made her feel better to remind herself of her power and of her control. She was powerful, not powerless! To hell with whatever emotions she felt sometimes!

It pissed her off that there was a little bit of the young girl that she had once been still in her. She hated that Ashlynn Schnee still fought and kicked against Cinder, who she truly was. It upset her, sometimes, and it drove her mad. Even if Salem was fooled into believing that Ashlynn was entirely dead, she knew differently. Cinder knew better. The care for people and the family that Ashlynn had was gone, but her values were still able to kick up dust. Memories came and went too, which also pissed her off. Collapsing to her knees as a fresh wave washed over her, Cinder closed her eyes and buried her face in her hands as something came clawing back. It was even though she was so beyond fractured, and that made it hurt more.

_"You're so selfish!" Willow shouted at her sister while Jacques stood in the corner in irritation at his sister in law more so than at his wife. "Winter is five years old and you applied for custody rights over her? That's complete and utter –"_

_"Did you or did you not understand the part of that where I didn't get custody rights?" Ashlynn demanded, blowing on a stray hair in annoyance upon noticing a chipped nail. "I tried because I want my niece to grow up in a house that isn't run by an abusive piece of –"_

_"Jacques isn't –" Willow protested._

_"You're deluding yourself!" Ashlynn shrieked, and her voice was incredibly shrill. "Even Emmett –"_

_"Emmett is fifteen years old!" Willow snapped. "He doesn't –"_

_"You know that I can speak for myself, right?" Emmett said, shaking out his long, wavy white locks. "I don't need someone to translate or pass information along for me as if I don't speak the language."_

_Cristal glanced to him, almost proud._

_"Mind your tongue," Jacques told the youngest of the Schnee's in the room. Winter was asleep and the party for Willow's birthday was currently paused in awe of the argument._

_"Do I have to?" Emmett asked and Cristal laughed a bit behind her hand._

_"Nice jab back, kid," Ashlynn said, handing her brother a beer despite Willow's glare. "Now anyways, Willow, you should take some advice from our baby sister and –"_

_"Shut up!" She shrieked. "You don't understand anything, neither of you do and –"_

_"You're right," Ashlynn said with a smirk. "I don't know what it's like for Jacques's dick to come all the way up my tight little –"_

_A scream of anger left Willow as she tackled her twin sister in a moment of heated rage - a fit of passion - before she punched the artificially white-haired woman in the face. Though Ashlynn was significantly taller than Willow - 5'11'' in heels - the smaller woman had no trouble pinning her down because, despite her height, of her superior strength. Ashlynn let out a screech of surprise and it betrayed the desire within her not to be afraid. Willow punched her sister, causing her nose to begin to bleed but then stopped when she saw the look on her twin's face. The realization of what she had done, the realization that hit her harder than anything else because she realized that she was slowly acting towards her sister in the way their mother had, brought her down from her rage and she stepped away hesitantly with dozens of reporters looking at her. Her eyes were wide, but nowhere near as wide as Ashlynn's. Tears threatened to spill over as she ripped herself up off the ground in the Schnee's ballroom and brushed the dirt off of her gold satin dress._

_"You bitch," Ashlynn spat at her sister who stepped back in regret and fear. "Being with Jacques really has taught you a thing or two. I guess you are becoming just like her...just like our mother. Do you have any idea what that bitch did to me?" Ashlynn demanded, tears streaming out of her eyes. "Well, do you?"_

_"Ash –" Willow started._

A rogue tear escaped her closed eyes and Cinder wiped it away, angered at her emotions that were leaking through her in spite of herself. To regain her composure, she resorted once again to violence and manipulation, two of the things she did best. Being off of the ground, she felt better though her knees were a little dirty and her short dress was a tad dusty. The fact that that coincided with Ashlynn's memory made her emotions swell up again she shattered the mirror across from her in the room which, unintentionally, drew the attention of Salem as a result of the noise. The deathly pale pallor of the queen of Remnant was as menacing as ever and the second that the mirror was back in place, the Queen was staring at her with slight malice.

"What were you doing?" Salem demanded.

"Thinking about how I need to feel powerful!" Cinder snapped and to her relief the Queen nodded.

"Very good. Now, here's the thing…" Salem tapped her foot against the ground impatiently. "I need you to go to Vale, and the city of Vale at that, to check in on Torchwick again. He's so fickle, and I do not trust him quite yet. Can you do so?"

"Yes," Cinder said, moving to begin to pack her bags.

"And Cinder," Salem said, using her magic to put everything in the young woman's bags. "I feel that you ought to be aware of the fact that I need you to be more careful, especially considering the way our… friends... in Atlas have been recently."

"Of course," Cinder agreed almost too quickly, getting a raised eyebrow from Salem in return.

* * *

**_January 10th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:13 AM_**

"Are you alright, Emmy?" Emmett asked through the bathroom door. For the last several minutes, she had been in there without saying anything. She had woken up puking and it seemed like it was still going on though he couldn't hear anything. "Emmy?"

"Ugh...you have absolutely no idea how shitty I feel, and you aren't making it any better." Emmeline snapped, though her voice was quiet. "Sorry, I'm just not...not, well I…"

"Emmy –" Emmett said gently, leaning against the door.

"Give me a few more minutes." She said, her usual authority seeping through and it raised his concern even more. "Please, Emmett."

"Alright," He agreed, still leaning against the door as he pushed up his glasses. "But if you aren't okay, then please tell me."

Several more minutes passed in silence before she hesitantly opened the door, her hair disheveled and her face tired.

"There's something you need to see." She said softly.

"What is it?" Serious concern fell over him and he pulled her in tightly. "Emmy…"

"Look at this," She said, pushing the small stick across the counter. "Do you know what this is?"

"Is that a pregnancy test?" Emmett asked, confusion taking over his thoughts as he tried to read it, his eyes growing wide when he realized it was positive. "Oh, Emmy –"

"I'm scared," She said softly. "There's my job, of course, but…what if we're terrible parents?"

"It'll be okay," He murmured, cupping her cheek. "I promise. And, after the baby is born, I can stay here with it and you can still perform your military duties. We can make this work if we're trying. Besides, we've both wanted kids."

Emmeline smiled softly as he kissed her forehead. "You're really not angry about this?"

"How could I possibly be angry about this?" Emmett asked her, taking her hand tightly in his. " Emmy, we're married, and you know I've always wanted us to have a family. I love you so damn much, and I love our baby already."

"I know you do..." She whispered, sighing as her scroll went off. "I'm not even going to bother. I'm cancelling my meetings today and when I declare to the council that I'm pregnant...well, it will make sense to them then."

"Are you sure you want to do this so soon?" Emmett looked at her in concern. "I don't want you to be worried."

She sighed. "Whether I want to or not isn't the question even though, no, I don't want to. I'm legally required to, and so I'm going to. There's no point in trying to hide."

He nodded as he kissed her cheek. "Alright."

She stared at him as she shakily sat down on the edge of their bed. "I'm nervous about this, Emmett. I..I…you know I'm still...I'm still scared, no matter what you say."

"I am too," He admitted, pulling her in tightly. "But I promise I'll do everything in my power to help you, to make sure everything works out."

"I just..." Emmeline sighed. "I can't believe that I'm going to be a mother."

Emmett smiled and gave her a gentle squeeze. "I can't believe I'm going to be a father."

"Do you really think that things are going to be alright?" She asked him, her eyes wide.

Emmett hesitated but nodded. "I think so. We have each other, don't we?"

"Of course we do," She said, wrapping her arms tightly around him. "I'm just nervous."

"We'll get through this together," Emmett promised, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "And I'm sure our baby is going to be fine."

Emmeline curled into him as she continued to ignore her buzzing scroll. "I love you..."

"I love you too," He promised, kissing her again. "Now, how about we decide how we're going to get ready for our little one."

"Okay," She said tiredly. "I just...I don't want to go through this alone."

"I'm not going to let that happen," Emmett swore, pressing a gentle hand to her still flat abdomen. "This is my baby too, and I want it and you to be happy and healthy. I love you so much, Emmy, and I'm not going to let anything hurt you."

"Okay," She said, kissing his cheek. "Good."


	30. This Starless City

_**February 3rd  
_**Patch  
_**1:51 PM**_**_**_

"So, then I said: yo, we better bounce because the po-po be all up in here," Qrow grinned like a madman and gesticulated excitedly. "Turns out that, once again, I was right."

Tai laughed and clinked his glass against his. "Nice one, but not as nice as my story."

"Oh?" Qrow said, taking the assertion as a challenge. "What wild stories have you got, Tai?"

"One too many," Summer said cheerfully as she stepped into the room. "But at least he doesn't lick things to claim them as his."

Qrow stuck his tongue out childishly at her. "Very funny."

"Well, when my daughter is born in May, you're going to have to stop being so immature," Tai sent him a half-serious look. "After all, there can only be one baby in the house at a time."

"Oh, go stick it in your hat," Qrow laughed. "You're just mad that Raven's avoided us more and more. It seems like she's always runnin' or sleepin' –"

"She's stressed," Tai said defensively. "That's how she copes with it. Honestly, she's going to be a wonderful mother and I…"

"What?" Summer eyed him curiously. "You're hiding something, aren't you?"

Tai sighed. "Can the two of you keep a secret for me?"

Summer and Qrow shared a somewhat confused look but nodded nonetheless.

"Alright," Tai said, lowering his voice.

Both of them leaned closer and Tai raised an eyebrow before he continued.

"I don't want her to feel pressured or…coerced," Tai said, swallowing hard. "But after our daughter's born, I'm going to ask her to marry me."

Summer let out a squeal of excitement and then immediately slapped her hand over her mouth. Qrow elbowed her sharply and she scowled, albeit playfully.

"You really do love her, don't you?" Qrow smiled. "That sounds nice, Tai, if you can convince her and I ain't so sure about that."

"Rae and I have been together long enough now, haven't we?" He rubbed his arm, feeling almost embarrassed for having brought the subject up. "Look, this is going to be new for me too but I want her to know that I –"

"I want to plan the wedding," Summer whispered jubilantly. "All of it! The party, the –"

"Don't get ahead of yourself, Summer," Tai warned her. "I haven't ever breached the subject with Rae before, and it's going to be awkward when I finally do so –"

"Eh," Qrow waved a hand dismissively. "Details, Tai. You've always been a player and now you're trying to settle down. I think it's real mature of you, honestly."

"Ironic of you to talk about maturity," Tai replied with a smirk. "You're a man child."

"If we're gonna talk about people who are man children, then I think Emmett Schnee tops that list," Qrow took back a swig from his flask. "I mean, he really is."

Summer giggled. "He even has a baby face, and his glasses don't make him look much older. His hair was a mess last time I saw him, too, although I couldn't tell you why he's grown it past his shoulders."

"Well, thankfully he's mostly Oz's problem," Qrow said, playfully punching her shoulder. "Since Emmett's his brother-in-law. Not that I know what he sees in Cristal."

"You're not giving her enough credit," Tai countered. "And, if nothing else, you should at least be grateful for the information she can access."

Qrow snorted. "I can't stand her. She's a self-righteous, hot-shot Atlesian prosecutor with a stick up her ass –"

"That's definitely unfair," Summer scowled. "She and I might not always see eye to eye, but you're making it sound like she's a horrible human being that kicks puppies and wears their skins as clothes."

"I'd love to see that," Qrow muttered.

"We're never going to defeat Her if we can't find a way to handle ourselves," Summer shook her head sadly. "I'm sorry, Qrow, but you have to admit that."

"I'll be damned," He swore under his breath.

Summer glared. "You're not always helpful, you know that?"

"It ain't my job to be helpful, Summer," Qrow told her. "It's my job to be right."

* * *

_**March 9th  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**United Kingdom Of Atlas  
_**Downtown  
_**8:14 PM**_**_**_**_**_

Ronnie Ciel glowered at his brother-in-law over the rim of his glass.

"So," He said as calmly as he could. "How are you doing, Emmett?"

"I think I'd feel a lot…better if you weren't looking at me with eyes that suggest you're going to skewer me with that glass," Emmett said, inching slightly away from him. "But, apart from that, I'm fine. Emmy's freshening up, but –"

"Speaking of my sister," Ronnie sent him an increasingly dark look. "I feel I should inform you of your peril if I think you're acting improper. Emily is –"

"We're married, Ronnie," Emmett patiently reminded him. "And if this is another lecture about how you're angry that we're starting a family, I think you summed it up well enough the first time."

Ronnie sighed irritably. "I just don't know what my father would think of all of this and I have to carry on his legacy. To be frank, I don't need you messing things up."

The senator wrinkled his nose upon Emmett's fluffy black kitten hopping up onto the table and hissing at him before contentedly sauntering over to Emmett, jumping down, and curling up on his lap.

"I cannot stand that animal," Ronnie said, sipping his whisky. "It is out to get me."

"Poofles isn't out to get anyone," Emmett replied, stroking the cat affectionately. "And I'll have you know that Emmy likes her. She's a good kitten. I got her a few weeks ago, and she's been surprisingly easy to train."

"Poofles," Ronnie repeated disdainfully. "That sounds like the name of a cat that lives in a purse."

"Funnily enough, I don't have one of those," Emmett said, adjusting his glasses nonchalantly. "Spencer might, if you want to know where to find one."

"Spencer and I are not on the same page and never have been," Ronnie said through gritted teeth. "And I don't know what's going on with him, but he's been more and more reclusive –"

"You would be too if you were shot," Emmett countered. "Ronnie, do you have any idea what that can do to a person?"

"He lived," The senator muttered. "He shouldn't be traumatized by it, and, if he is –"

"After what happened to Edward, it would have been shocking if that hadn't affected him," Emmett shook his head. "Ronnie, honestly, you're judging him and Karissa too harshly. They're relatively young parents in a situation that's difficult at best –"

"I am not in the mood for a lecture," Ronnie snapped. "And I would appreciate it if you didn't try to give me one, Emmett. You might be my brother-in-law, but you're a dick-headed, pain in the ass –"

"Eh," He shrugged. "Depends on the situation. If we're talking about grimm…well, that's what I'm supposed to be, right? I am a licensed huntsman, after all."

"That seems to be more and more like a technicality at this point," Ronnie snorted. "You're just a history professor now, aren't you?"

"Not all of us need to have formal positions of power to impact people," Emmett said quietly. "In some ways, the more you can teach someone, the greater the impact you'll have on their ability to make informed decisions for the rest of their life. You can't take things at face value, which is something I'm sure you well know by now. You've confessed to doing things against the law in front of us before and, whether we can prove it or not –"

Ronnie slammed down his glass with immense force.

"Don't you even –"

"Do you need Valium, Ronnie?" Emmeline sent her brother a pointed look as she stepped into the room, brushing out her slightly damp hair. "Or have you taken your dose today?"

Ronnie took in a deep breath to calm himself, albeit not without glaring at Emmett.

"Are you feeling well?" He finally said. "We were beginning to worry."

"I'm not an invalid, Ronnie," Emmeline said, almost as if the words disgusted her. "Drop the pretense."

Emmett smiled and wrapped an arm tightly around her when she sat down beside him.

"Hi, baby," Emmett said, pressing his head slightly against her small curve. "It's your dad. I'm looking forward to meeting you in September, you know."

Emmeline laughed softly. "Emmett, that tickles, stop it."

"Sorry," He said, relenting and giving her a bit of space. "You said you had a story from work?"

Emmeline sighed tiredly. "When don't I?"

"If it makes you feel any better, I had some words with a junior member of the intelligence committee," Ronnie said, looking rather annoyed at the notion. "The woman accused me of something outlandish."

"And, knowing you, she probably wasn't too far off," Emmeline replied. "Or are you not still bribing the PM of Vacuo?"

Ronnie tensed. "That," He said slowly. "Is not relevant, Emily."

"To be clear, I still believe it is," She said, her voice dangerously even. "It's been quite a long time since you started it, and I'm fully convinced you still are. Of course, you're quite good. You've covered your tracks well, Ronnie. I'd be impressed if it weren't so abhorrent."

"Abhorrent?" Ronnie rolled his eyes. "Emily, you are mistaken. What I am doing is for everyone's protection and the good of the kingdom."

"To the contrary, I am convinced you like the notion of controlling another person," She said, crossing her arms. "You have always lacked subtlety, Ronnie, and, while you are a good actor, your temper is what seems to get in the way of each and every scheme of yours. I'm shocked you haven't announced a bid for the upcoming 2005 presidency."

"I'm not going to run and, even if I were, it's too far out," Ronnie said, scowling. "It's two years away, and, frankly, Sassler is well-liked and I don't have an issue with her."

"Hmmph," Emmeline eyed him critically, not fully believing his words. "It's funny how difficult I find to believe that."

The two Ciel siblings scowled at each other in impasse for a long moment.

"Spencer and I finally managed to drag a pool table into the teacher's lounge," Emmett said at an awkward attempt at levity. "We were driving around and found it abandoned in an alleyway in great condition with everything. We stuck it on the back of his truck and drove it back to the academy and hauled it into the lounge ourselves. Honestly, I still don't know how we managed it, but we did."

Ronnie looked distinctly unamused. "You stole a pool table?"

"Alleyways are everyone's rummage territory," Emmett replied, and Emmeline couldn't help but laugh. "And I got this out of it!"

Emmett pulled a trapper-style raccoon hat out of his computer bag and set it on his head as if it were a crown made of pure gold and jewels.

"I cannot believe you skinned a raccoon," Emmeline shook her head. "I thought you were afraid of them."

"Not when they're dead," Emmett said with a grin. "The carcass was just there. I screamed when I picked it up, but then I got the idea to make it into a hat."

Ronnie recoiled. "You disgust me."

"Ah, so you discuss me," Emmett said, affectionately pressing a kiss to his wife's forehead. "I was a trust fund baby, you can trust me."

"You lost that when Willow married Jacques," Ronnie reminded him. "I believe Cristal did too."

"And we've been fine," Emmett said. "We've done perfectly fine, even without a million-lien leg up."

Ronnie considered that. "I suppose you have."

"Emmett, I swear to God, take the damn hat off," Emmeline sent him a pointed look. "It's gross, and I don't want to know what kind of parasites could have been in that creature."

"People used to wear these all the time!" Emmett protested. "It is a fashion statement, one I intend to impress on my students in class tomorrow!"

"If Spencer doesn't hit you for wearing it, I'll buy you a fur coat," Emmeline said, crossing her arms. "I mean it, Emmett."

"I'm going to hold you to it," He replied. "You know how much I've always wanted one of those, after all."

Ronnie rolled his eyes. "If your testosterone levels drop much more, you'll become a butterfly."

"And if yours drop, you'll become a fairy princess," Emmett said, chuckling at the thought. "One that grants wishes in sugarplums, too."

The senator only glared but his sister couldn't help but laugh.

* * *

_**April 13th  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**Downtown  
_**9:28 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"Cristal, you need to shove it," Qrow said, and Ozpin immediately placed a hand to his wife's shoulder. "I don't care what the circumstances are, you have absolutely no right to –"

"After what you did, I had no choice," She snapped. "There was nothing wrong with informing Kiara Davis that you had been drinking during a highly classified mission and were at risk for letting information –"

"Your little stunt got my license frozen!" Qrow yelled, losing what of his temper he had left although he paused when Cristal's sleeping daughter woke up and started to cry. "Alright," He said, lowering his voice a little. "You are out to get me, and –"

"Chrissy isn't out to get you, Qrow," Emmeline tiredly informed him. "You were compromised, and it was a situation that was important enough to warrant –"

"You're Atlesian, you don't get to talk," Qrow snarled. "You probably had something to do with it."

Emmeline bristled. "Perhaps I did, or, perhaps, it was your own rash, foolish –"

"Oh, sure," Qrow said dryly, rolling his eyes. "It's all my fault, isn't it? It's always my fault, huh?"

"The circumstances were suspicious," Summer hesitantly reminded him. "I think this may have gone too far, especially since Atlas shouldn't have pressured Vale to freeze your license for the next few months, but you made a mistake and you aren't owning up to it."

"And, maybe if you stopped drinking long enough to be useful, we wouldn't be so angry with you," Glynda added, sending him a disdainful look. "Honestly, it's as if you're trying to compromise all of us."

Qrow crossed his arms. "I ain't in the mood to be lectured, Glynda."

"Whether you are or aren't isn't the issue," She scathingly replied. "The issue is your apparent lack of self-awareness."

"My lack of self-awareness?" Qrow exclaimed in shock, pointing to himself. "I'm perfectly self-aware! It's people like Cristal who think they can do whatever the hell they want who aren't! It's people like Emmeline and James who think we need to be constantly prepared for a fucking war that aren't! Not to mention people like Emmett who –"

"I got shoved in lockers in high school, believe me, I've heard whatever it is you're about to say before," He said, almost amused. "Honestly, this would be funny if the situation weren't so damn serious."

Everyone in the room turned to glare at Qrow, including Ozpin who sat down with a heavy sigh and pressed a hand to his head.

"Qrow," He eventually said. "Why are you here? You can't do anything right now and we were going to discuss this privately –"

"It would have been if your wife hadn't intervened," Qrow said, jabbing a finger towards Cristal. "If it weren't for her making it clear she had been behind this, I would have let it go."

"What I don't understand is why you've always been so tight-lipped," Rosalinde Varna eyed Qrow curiously. "You know almost everything about the rest of us, by now, and yet we know basically nothing about you."

"There are moments that words don't reach, Varna," Qrow told her. "Sometimes the past is better left buried, especially when it ain't neat like the rest of yours. And, if you're going to get into knowing things, then what's the motive behind your sudden bid for PM of Vacuo? I thought the current PM was viewed as a god or something to that effect."

Varna snorted. "As if you would understand."

"No, actually, that could use some explanation," Emmeline said, albeit not without a sharp look to Qrow. "I agree we should address the issue with him, but, if you somehow manage to defeat the current prime minister you would be in a position of power far above any of us which, of course, raises some questions of its own."

"Why?" Rose said with a shrug. "I'm not likely to win, I just wanted to –"

"No one makes a bid for a position of power unless they think they've got a shot," James said, cutting across her. "And most politicians have their own machinations to get it."

"If you are accusing me of playing dirty, you're wrong," Varna said derisively. "You know next to nothing, James, and you are conflating Atlesian politics with the rest of the world's."

"The sentiment remains the same across the board," Cristal countered. "Especially considering that you've admitted to playing dirty before, most notably to become the headmistress of Shade Academy."

Rose crossed her arms. "And so what if I do?"

"That makes us feel better," Qrow said dryly. "Very reassuring of you, Varna."

"I want to be in the room where it happens, for the sake of us all," She said, seething. "And no one is going to keep from it anymore. I will become the PM of Vacuo, whether it is in this cycle or the next –"

"Ambitious to a fault, aren't you?" Qrow shook his head. "You're immoral, as you've proven more than once, and a dangerous disgrace."

Varna stared at him in outrage. "How dare you –"

"While I think that is…somewhat extreme," Emmeline said slowly. "You can't deny that your methods are not always…ethical."

"By your standards," Rose retorted. "Atlas isn't the rest of the world, and neither is Vale. You'd all do well to remember that."

An awful silence befell them and, for a long time, it seemed no one would be willing to speak.

"We can deal with this later," Ozpin finally said. "For now…let's just hope that things don't get much worse than I'm afraid they already are…"

* * *

_**May 14th  
_**City of Atlas  
_**Atlas  
_**Downtown  
_**11:13 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"Lord, have mercy on me…" Emmett muttered, scowling at the new message on his scroll.

Spencer smirked, looking up from the papers he was grading.

"What is it?" He teased. "Did you find your shoes or are you going to spend the rest of the day in your socks?"

Emmett sent him a dark look. "You took them, and I will prove it."

"Hey, hey," Spencer put up his hands and tried not to laugh. "I am, as 'Rissa and I finally revealed yesterday, going to be the father of more than one kid in early November. I am too responsible for that bullshit, and I didn't take them. Maybe you should take a look around the academy. I wouldn't be surprised if a team took them as a joke."

"Right," Emmett said dryly. "A group of teenagers would take my disgusting, three-year-old loafers that are fraying and probably smell like cat piss. And keep in mind that I'm going to have a kid in September. You and I are in the same position."

Spencer glanced at the hat on his head and then punched him in the arm.

"Alright, Emmett," He said, stretching out his arms. "You're right."

Emmett rubbed his arm and glared. "You just cost me a fur coat!"

"What?" Spencer stared at him for a moment and then shook his head. "Never mind. Not going to question it."

Emmett rolled his eyes as he bent down to pull his socks back up again. They were starting to scrunch together at his ankles and, as it happened, the feeling drove him crazy.

"But, really," Spencer went on, setting down his pen. "Did Jacques send you a message requesting your presence? Or did Ronnie ask you to dinner?"

"No, but the last one was closer," He sighed. "Ronnie wants me to set him up with one of my friends."

"Do you have a friend you particularly want to suffer?" Spencer suggested as he reached for the painkillers he had been on for almost two years. He didn't even know, some days, why he still took them but he couldn't help but give in. He hated them, because taking the pills worried Karissa, but his doctor had kept prescribing them and he didn't know what to do. At any rate, the numbness they brought made dealing with what had happened easier. "Or one you've been trying to get off your back for the last few years?"

Emmett sighed. "You know just as well as I do that I don't have a whole lot of people close to me and, at this point, most of them are happily married. Although –"

"Emmett, Spencer, are you two –" Rosella Katt paused in the doorway and eyed them both curiously. "I have to ask. Where the hell did your socks go and why does Spencer have a paperclip stuck in his hair?"

Spencer awkwardly pulled the paperclip from his messy, shoulder-length hair while Emmett shrugged.

"Hey, Ella," Emmett said, adjusting his glasses. "How've you been?"

"My parents are riding my ass about finding a suitable husband," She said, flicking her pink cat tail irritably. "Apparently my decent-paying job as a teacher doesn't live up to their standards of wealth. My mother seems to think I should do what she did, but I'll shoot myself in the foot before I sleep my way to the top."

Spencer raised an eyebrow. "At least you're not that desperate."

"I'm pretty fucking desperate," She said dryly. "Hell, if Jacques weren't married, I'd take even him and he's a dick."

They all fell uncomfortably silent and the only sound that could be heard was the swishing of her tail.

"Ella, I know you're upset and we can all talk later in the teacher's lounge, but my brother's going to be here soon and we have to discuss a family matter," Spencer sent her a pointed look. "Really, if you give us an hour or two –"

"Sorry I'm late," Ronnie said, all but slamming the door into the wall as he entered. "I got caught up in a conversation with the headmistress while I was on my way up."

Emmett fidgeted uncomfortably for a moment and tore out of the room as if there were something on his heels.

"What's the deal with his socks?" Ronnie asked, looking rather sour. "Did someone steal his shoes?"

"I did," Rosella said with a triumphant smirk. "He'll find them soon enough. I left them on his car."

Ronnie laughed, albeit with some restraint. "That could take longer than expected."

"It'll be fine," Spencer said, waving his hand dismissively. "All things considered, anyways."

"Well, I suppose we ought to get down to business," Ronnie said, pausing when he glanced to Rosella. "My apologies, ma'am. I don't believe we've been introduced."

Rosella's tail shot up in surprise and she delicately presented her hand.

"Rosella Katt," She said with a smile. "Atlas Academy's assistant combat professor."

Ronnie smiled too and held her hand longer than was necessary. When they let go, both their hands were tingling.

"Senator Ronnie Ciel," He replied. "I'm afraid I have important business to attend to right now but, afterwards, I would be honored if you would be willing to have dinner with me. I'll cover the tab, of course."

Rosella's eyes sparkled excitedly. "I would like that very much."

"I'll meet you in the Atlas Academy lobby in an hour," He told her. "Pleasure meeting you."

"Oh, you have no idea," Rosella coyly replied. "No idea at all."

* * *

_**June 17th  
_**Location: Undefined  
_**12:58 AM**_**_**_

The Queen was as she preferred to be: alone. Her throne room had taken on a beautiful haze in the last few hours, and she could scarcely believe how quickly time was flying by around them all. Cinder was proving to be the apprentice she had always dreamed of, and, as it happened, that Torchwick was going to be useful after all. He was excellent at subterfuge, and he seemed more than willing to work with Cinder if it meant he'd make a tidy sum for his efforts. Salem looked down on him as she looked down on most humans, but she would never deny the importance she had placed on Cinder taking charge over other people. The girl was her best apprentice and, as it happened, more skilled than she had ever accounted for.

But, regardless, the Queen would never admit the pride she felt towards her apprentice. She knew full well that would inflate the woman's already inflated sense of pride. She was far above most people, for that the Queen was certain, but she was still human. The Queen knew that not all of her ties had been severed quite yet and that was something that she would have to be pushed into. At the end of the day, if she could not do that, she remained a risk. Any mercy from her past had to be erased. An assassin destined to be the fall maiden could not be merciful, especially not one working for the Queen. Someone like that needed to be more like her, more like the woman who was ordering her mirror to bring forth the one person she knew she could as for a leg up in the war.

She was, after all, without mercy.

"Salem," The shrouded figure said as he emerged from the mirror. "You have not tried that in quite a long time. I must confess some curiosity because of it."

The Queen pursed her lips. "You should know full well what I require."

"I do," He replied. "But you have not been specific, now have you?"

Salem's eyes narrowed. "I need a leg up in this war. I am willing to be patient with you, Darkness, but I need it soon. I want a swift finale…and I feel that the pieces, enough of them, at any rate, have fallen into place."

There was a silence betwixt them and then he shook his head.

"No," He said. "I will not help you in your quest, not right now," The Brother God of Darkness said through the mirror. "I have made that mistake too many times before, Salem."

"Then when?" She pressed, looking rather annoyed.

"We shall see if you one day prove worthy," He said cryptically as he vanished. "We shall see."

* * *

_**July 21st  
City of Rishara  
_**Vacuo  
_**Downtown  
_**9:13 PM**_**_**_**_

The election results flashed on signs throughout Vacuo's most populous city. Rishara was always teeming with life, but tonight held a different air. People were drinking, and partying, and living their lives but those whom were in the streets and saw the final results of their most recent election were either ecstatic or deeply concerned. When the results had come to life, the events had paused for just a moment and then there was more shouting. Some of it was excitable, yes, but much of it was angered. The face of the woman that had defeated the incumbent prime minister was more than smug, even in a mere photograph. There was something about her violet eyes and her calm, easy smile that unnerved many people in the kingdom. It had been one thing when she had declared she was going to remain the headmistress of Shade Academy while she vied for the position but it was unthinkable when the news broke, just a few minutes after her election, that she was going to remain as the headmistress and simply take on the duties as prime minister.

Many were sure this was an attempt to consolidate personal power.

Rosalinde Varna had always been viewed as more than a little suspicious. She never said what she meant, and, when she did, there was a darker motive behind it. There always had been. Then, of course, there was the matter of her origin. She knew not who her parents were, and she had always possessed what seemed to be incomprehensible magical ability. Her opponent, as it happened, had not been hard to unseat. Even if she hadn't a connection on the inside to flip the votes for him to her, the second plan would have worked. After all, she was the only who knew that her opponent was dead as she stepped onto the stage to give her speech. He may have been viewed as a minor god, but she was younger, quicker, and more clever.

A little cyanide in the coffee hadn't hurt, either.

"My dears, this was a wonderful surprise," Rosalinde started, beaming while she spoke and the people cheered. She could not tell if it were out of genuine respect or fear. "I know I had been expected to lose but, to win in a landslide as even Atlas is reporting…this is something I will not take lightly. You, my people, have chosen me to guide you through increasingly tumultuous times. I promise that I will not let you be stepped over by the rest of the world. We survive better than they do, don't we?"

"Fuck Atlas!" Several people screamed.

It was met, to little surprise, with laughs and yells of agreement.

"Now, now," Varna said calmly, tossing her hair back. "We cannot forego diplomacy. If we want the rest of the world to take us seriously, we cannot become like the White Fang and its dissenters in Menagerie."

Nothing could have shut the crowd up faster than that. Not even murmurs of dissent were heard for the longest time. She was waiting still, of course, for the news to break of her opponent's sudden death but it was no matter. They were all anticipating her words and waited with bated breath for it. She had them on a hook already. That was perfection. It did not bode well for her that there would be suspicion, but she had faced worse before. It would disappear within a short time, and no one would need to know she was behind it. After all, she was going to abolish the limits and surpass them herself. She was going to gain all the support she could get and then be declared the prime minister for life by the Council. Oh, her plans were in her pocket and she had it all ready for what was to come. It would finally be hers, power, and she would no longer be the powerless orphan she had felt tied to for so long. She was Rosalinde Diana Varna, the leader of Vacuo.

Soon to be, effectively, their queen.

"I understand your hatred," She finally said, and they all turned back to her. "I know that many people in this kingdom have suffered at the hands of Atlas' leaders and businesses, but I will ensure your safety. People like Jacques Schnee won't be able to take advantage of you, not for much longer. I will do everything I can to put an end to the whole affair. Dust mining is part of what keeps this kingdom prosperous, but it needs to be in our hands. Not theirs."

Fervent applause rippled out from the crowd, and Varna could not hide the faint smirk rising on her lips.

"We will stand our ground," She said, stepping to the edge of the stage and sitting down on the edge as if she were a pop star meeting her adoring fans, not the newly elected prime minister of Vacuo. "I promise you that, my dears."

"Miss – prime minister – Varna," An out-of-breath assistant of hers all but tumbled towards her and then, much to the surprise of everyone present, lifted her back to her feet. "There's a serious matter that needs attention."

Her face became a perfect mask of shock. "I'm sorry?"

"Wiltshire is dead," She whispered, her voice frantic. "His body was found just a few minutes ago in his personal office at the Council offices in the capital."

Rose contorted her face skillfully. "No, that can't be true. He was –"

"It seems his ailments, whatever they were, finally got to him," She shook her head ruefully. "Rosalinde, this doesn't bode well. Until the autopsy comes back, we can't guarantee it was his disease. People might accuse you, or, worse, your own life might be at stake."

Rose fell silent but, after a moment, nodded shortly, and turned back to her people solemnly.

"I'm afraid many of us are about to fall into mourning," She finally said, the catch in her voice solidifying her performance. "According to officials in the capital, Wiltshire has passed away unexpectedly. I know that my opponent and I had our…disagreements but neither of us wished ill on the other. I am sorry for the family, and I hope that this kingdom will be able to move forward in spite of this. I will do my best to lead you all. I swear it."

And, despite the dark overtones, there was more applause and more cheers commending Rosalinde Varna for her compassion and strength.

Never mind the fact that she had killed him in the first place.


	31. Caught Up In The Grey

_**August 27th  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**Downtown  
_**8:15 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"I think Nattie and Ivy really like each other," Spencer said with a smile as he watched the two girls playfully poke at each other. "It's so cute. Hopefully Natalie will like her twin brothers just as much in November."

Karissa, looking particularly exhausted, sighed and didn't object to him loosely wrapping an arm around her.

James chuckled. "Ivy's very social. She loves messing with her sister, although how much Cate likes it is questionable sometimes."

"She's a cute little bean," Spencer said, glancing to the little girl who was sound asleep on the floor on an array of pillows next to her mother. "She never lets that bear out of her sight, does she?"

"She's very attached to it," Glynda told him, gently rubbing her sleeping daughter's back. "Honestly, I think it helps her sleep, knowing she has it nearby."

"And you would know," James added. "Considering that she sleeps next to you."

Glynda sent him a pointed look. "I'm worried about her too, don't act like you're the only one who's concerned –"

"Glyns…" He said, shaking his head. "You know I'm deployed a lot, and –"

"Boop!" Ivy yelled, tackling Natalie and tapping her nose.

Glynda and James stared at each other for a moment but then let go of the tension.

"Hi, mommy!" Natalie exclaimed, rolling over and waving at Karissa who smiled and waved back.

"Are you doing okay, honey?" Karissa laid down on the floor across from her daughter.

Natalie nodded and ran over to her to embrace her tightly.

"Look!" Ivy giggled and tried to pull her foot to her nose.

"Ivy, honey, shh…" Glynda murmured, adjusting her glasses delicately. "I'm glad you're having fun, but your sister needs to sleep."

Ivy pouted for a moment and then sighed.

"Okie," She whispered excitedly. "When she play?"

"Tomorrow, honey," Glynda told her. "It's almost bedtime, okay?"

Ivy crawled over to her mother and curled up against her with a smile.

"I can't believe they're almost two," James said, wrapping an around his wife. "They're such sweethearts too."

Spencer nodded and picked up Natalie, who was still giggling.

"Settle down, Nattie," Spencer said, tapping her nose. "You're going to need to fall asleep soon."

Natalie pouted. "But daddy –"

"Here, Nattie," Karissa said, handing her a little bunny stuffie from the bag. "You want Bunny?"

Natalie perked up immediately and hugged her bunny close to her.

"We should probably get going," Spencer said, glancing at the time on his scroll. "We'll see you two tomorrow."

Glynda smiled. "Okay."

"I'll keep you posted on what's happening with keeping the situation under control," Karissa said, sighing and sending James a pointed look. "And tell Oz that he's going to have to explain some things to me soon enough because nothing he has said regarding what really happened with Varna makes any damn sense."

"I will," He said tiredly, glancing to his wife.

A tense silence hung over them when the door shut behind them, even though the girls were peacefully sleeping beside their mother.

"The last person I want to trust right now is Rosalinde Varna," Glynda eventually said. "She's changed since she assumed power in Vacuo, and it doesn't seem like she assumed it legally."

"It's probably safe to assume she didn't," James agreed. "She manipulated the system, and I think everyone knows it. Chrissy even thinks she killed the previous prime minister."

"I would believe it," Glynda said darkly. "Varna's always had a presence that hinted at a lust for power. She would do anything for it."

James sighed. "I know."

Glynda tiredly probed her forehead and shook her head. She then picked up her sleeping daughters and carried them into their room. James followed her and sat down on the edge of the bed.

"It should turn out alright," She murmured, laying down and raking her hands through her hair in exhaustion. "Honestly, right now, I'm more worried about the girls than I am Varna."

"They're okay," James leaned over and gently cupped her cheek. "Glyns, I'm sorry I haven't been home, but I have no control over when I get deployed and where to. I'm doing the best I can."

"You think I don't know that?" She snapped although her voice was quiet. "I'm just glad term ends at the start of December."

"You've got a lot on your mind, I get it," He said, laying down beside her.

"Sometimes I'm not sure you do," She said softly.

"I'm doing the best I can, Glynda," He replied. "And I'm trying to be around more –"

"I know that –" She started irritably.

"Glyns, please just…" He paused for a moment and then sighed. "I'm sorry, really."

"I know you are," She said, looking exhausted. "I need time to process and rest, okay?"

He nodded. "Okay."

She pulled off her glasses and rolled over onto her side, pulling the blanket over her. It seemed everything around was spinning and then, slowly, she fell asleep. James looked over to the girls and, after a moment, pressed a soft kiss to his wife's forehead and fell asleep beside her while the world continued to turn.

* * *

_**September 27th**_  
_**DCA Transport Station**_  
_**City of Atlas**_  
_**United Kingdom of Atlas**_  
_**8:37 PM**_

"Yang, firecracker," Tai said, rocking his crying daughter in his arms. "Shh…it's going to be okay. I promise. Everything's going to be okay."

He didn't completely believe what he was saying. Ever since Raven had left without warning in mid-July, he had felt that something was missing. He had been stuck in what felt like a free fall since then and his teammates hadn't exactly been understanding. Summer had been the most compassionate between them. She had stayed up late and done her best to care for Yang. She had lost sleep to give him more and she had done everything in her power to keep the little girl healthy and make sure Tai didn't slip too far out of touch. He was grateful to her for that, but he knew also that he could never repay her for what she was doing for him. With Qrow's considerably lower spirits in the last few days, he felt he had little in Patch. He would have to head back soon enough but, right now, he needed space. He just needed a few days with Yang.

That was what had led him to where he was now, sitting in the bustling transport station in the Atlesian capital with a crying baby in his arms.

"Shut that child up," Someone snapped nearby, and he pulled his daughter closer to him. "Or do something!"

Tai scowled but said nothing to them. Instead, he reached into the bag he had for his baby girl and pulled out a pacifier. Yang began to quiet down, but his bag tumbled to the floor. His hands were full, and he was going to try and grab it, but he couldn't without grabbing his suitcase. He was so hesitant in this moment despite having no reason to be. Perhaps it was because he felt his daughter losing her mother was his fault or, maybe, he was scared that he would end up in a worse state than he already was, in a worse state than -

"Here," A woman said gently, coming over to him with the bag in her hands. "Is that your girl?"

Tai nodded. "Yes, this is my daughter."

She smiled. "Well –"

"Oh my God," He paused upon seeing the ID badge she was wearing around her neck. "You're Elizabeth Morell? The recently instated chair of the Atlesian National Security Council?"

She turned pink. "Admiral Winchester all but demanded I take the position when he retired in June. I don't deserve it, I really don't, but the senate defense and intelligence committees approved it."

Tai eyed her for a moment and then stood up, pulling his bags with him.

"Can I buy you a drink?" He asked. "You look like you need one."

She hesitated. "I don't know…"

"It's not a date, I swear," Tai promised. "I'm just being nice, that's all."

Elizabeth bit her lip but then nodded. "I suppose that would be okay."

He smiled as they walked through the terminal and, thankfully, it wasn't hard to find a small bar. The two of them sat down in one of the many booths – surprisingly, it was reasonably empty – and Yang was still sleeping soundly in her father's arms. Elizabeth was quiet and kept fidgeting with her hands, looking rather worried. She was startled when the waiter asked her what she wanted to drink, and it took her a moment to regain her composure enough to order a martini. Tai was quiet for a while himself, too, not knowing exactly what to say. He had acted on impulse, he knew, but she was several years older than him at thirty-five and she was one of youngest people ever to be placed in her position. It was uncomfortably silent for a time but, eventually, he found it in him to speak. He ignored the fact that may have had something to do with the small beer he had been sipping at.

"I heard about the deposition you gave to the Council that shed light onto some serious topics," Tai said, pausing when she flinched. "I know it gave you immunity, and I know a lot of people here hail you as a hero but I don't see it that way."

"I don't either…" Elizabeth mumbled, sipping her martini.

"I do, however, think you're brave," Tai went on, and she looked up suddenly in surprise. "Extremely so, actually. You put yourself and your job at risk to do the right thing, and I wholeheartedly believe that was brave and that it justifies you being in the position you are now."

Elizabeth turned bright red despite herself.

"Tai, you're flattering me," She finally said. "I'm sorry, but I was silent for months and I should have –"

"You're human, Elizabeth," He said kindly. "You don't have to be perfect every time."

"I'm not sure you understand the gravity of my job," She said quietly. "The things I do, the decisions I make…they carry real weight and have serious effect on -"

"Elizabeth, you're still allowed to have feelings," He sighed and gently rocked Yang to keep her asleep. "We all are."

She stared at him for a moment and then pushed her half-drunk martini aside.

"Tai, I know that I'm somebody, I know that I'm important, and I know that there are plenty of people on the Council that have faith in me," She said, lowering her voice with each word she spoke. "I lack faith in myself not because I think myself incapable but because I would put someone else in my position on probation or even bring them to trial. No one is doing that to me – no one will even consider doing that to me – and I detest that level of hypocrisy."

He sighed. "I understand why that would bother you," He conceded. "But that doesn't make you a bad person or disqualify you."

"I'm too young," She said, looking at her hands again. "I am too young and far too impulsive to be trusted with the position I have been."

"Or you're resilient enough to handle it," Tai countered. "The fact that you had people vouch for you and the fact that the one last in your position nominated you to succeed him says a lot."

She smiled weakly. "Thanks, Tai."

"I'm being honest," He told her. "There's no need to thank me for that."

"You overestimate, then, how many people are willing to tell the truth," Elizabeth replied. "For all of our successes, most people don't trust the senators, or representatives, or the people in the executive departments of the Council. Our history with slimy politicians might be better than most of the kingdoms, but that doesn't mean there isn't a lack of faith because of it."

"Sounds like Atlas needs help," Tai remarked.

"We all will, if things keep going like this," Elizabeth sighed. "With everything that has happened in the last two years alone, it doesn't look very good, now does it?"

"I agree things aren't that great," He said as they stood up and headed out. "I'm a huntsman, and some of the things I've seen in just the short time I've been licensed don't bode well for the future."

"Some days, I question whether or not we'll see tomorrow," Elizabeth paused and then shook her head. "That's probably only my paranoia, but…"

She trailed off and they stared at each other in silence for a time. Then, Elizabeth ripped a small piece of paper out of the top of her bag and scrawled something quickly on it.

"Tai, wait," Elizabeth said, stopping him just before she headed in the opposite direction for the train. "Call me."

He smiled when she slipped a small sheet of paper with her scroll caller ID into his free hand.

"I will," He promised. "You can count on that."

It was only for a moment, but he could have sworn she looked happier than she had all evening.

* * *

**_October 31st  
**_City Of Atlas  
**_United Kingdom Of Atlas  
**_Downtown  
**_8:53 PM_**  
_**_**_**_******  
********"Now, see Sam," Emmett said, rocking his giggling newborn daughter as he pulled a candy bowl out of the pantry. "Mommy doesn't like this holiday because she thinks it's creepy beyond belief…but I'm just going to leave this outside the door and little kids can take the candy. Just don't tell her, okay?"

"You know I can hear and see you, right?" Emmeline said, looking up from her reports with an amused smile. "I'm only letting you get away with this because I know that you'll do it either way."

"That is a perfect assumption," Emmett said, dropping the bowl outside of the apartment and locking the door before looking warmly to his wife. "If I had to bet, I'd say that someone is going to steal it, but at least it's just -"

"Plastic," Emmeline laughed. "At least you aren't putting whatever expensive -"

"I could do that, but that guarantees that it will get stolen." Emmett laughed with her while baby Samara joined in a little. "I mean, it's bad luck to put china out on Hallows Eve."

"I still stand by my assessment that this holiday is creepy," Emmeline gave him a feigned sharp look before smiling when he sat down next to her with their daughter still in his arms. "But seriously, is it not a little creepy that little kids go door to door demanding candy?"

"Are you going to let Sammie do that when she gets to be around four or fiveish?" Emmett fluffed her hair that was down and spilling into her lap. "It's kind of a thing."

Smiling still, Emmeline leaned her head onto his shoulder while he wrapped an arm around her with the other securely holding Samara. Pulling her legs up onto the couch, she sighed. "Did your parents let you go out and demand candy?"

"Sure," Emmett said, smiling back at her though she nodded with a smirk. "But that doesn't mean I did it when I was a kid. I think I was...maybe fifteen when I went out on Hallows Eve the first time."

"You were fifteen!" Emmeline exclaimed in surprise while Emmett tickled their daughter, causing the little girl to laugh. "Please tell me you're joking!"

"I can't because we agreed that we weren't going to lie to each other." Emmett tilted his head slightly to kiss her and she kissed him back before taking Sam into her arms. "Emmy, you know that I won't lie to -"

"That vision you had last night -" She said pointedly.

"I should have known you were going to bring that up," Emmett sighed and pulled her up onto his lap, kissing her again before making sure that she and Sam were secure. Carefully running his fingers through her hair, Emmett tried to not dwell on what he was going to say. He knew she was going to force out of him anyways. "Look, Emmy, I know you can take care of yourself and I know that you're strong - you're the strongest person I know - but I can't help but feel this helpless kind of fear every time I have a vision and they insist that, at some point, you or someone close to me won't be a part of my future. You're my wife, and I love you too much and to even think about...to even think about losing you…" Emmett's thoughts were drowned out by his tears and Emmeline leaned him into her and stroked his hair, every so often pausing to scratch the back of his ears. "Emmeline…"

"Shh...shh…" She spoke softly and cradled her daughter in one arm while trying to comfort him as much as possible. "Emmett, I think these visions upset you more than they upset me. It was a nightmare, and nothing more. You do believe that, don't you?"

"I…why do they bother you?" He asked so quietly she could barely hear it. "Emmy -"

"They bother me…" Emmeline paused and tried to explain what she was thinking, what she was feeling in the best way possible. "They bother me because they upset you to the point where you're sobbing, and I hate watching you suffer especially when it's because you have concerns for me and my safety."

"Sometimes I hate how protective I am towards you," Emmett sighed deeply in an attempt to bring himself calm though his tears continued to spill on to her clothes. "It makes me feel almost like I'm devaluing your skill and that's -"

"Shut up, Emmett, honestly. Just shut up." Emmeline, despite her harsh words, was speaking in a quiet, soft tone. "I know that's not why you do it."

"I know it's not either," He said, shaking his head as he adjusted his glasses. "But -"

"Emmett, listen to me," Emmeline lifted his head off of her as best as she could to force him to look at her through his wet, puffy eyes. "I know how attached you get to people. I know you're only as protective of me and Sam as you are because you would blame yourself if anything happened to us even if there was no logical reason for you to be at blame. I know you feel protective towards Glynda and her kids though on a lesser level because they have each other and because I'm sure James would be damned before he let them get hurt with him having any say in it. I know that you even feel protective towards Ashlynn despite what we both know she's become."

"Ashlynn is a special case…" Emmett mumbled as she leaned his forehead against his with Sam still tightly in her arm. "I don't like hearing people talk badly about her because of what she's become without giving and recognizing the reasons."

Emmeline sighed. "I know."

"Despite the fact that she has repeatedly tried to kill me, and that she might have plans to hurt you, I feel like she hasn't crossed the line yet. She's still in the grey. The longer she stays there, the more evil she'll become...but…" Emmett choked back another sob regardless of the turmoil of emotions that he was feeling. "I'm sorry...I know I'm being irrational and —"

"Emmett," Emmeline said gently. "It's okay…"

He sighed heavily and said nothing more on the subject for a long moment.

"Until she crosses the line," Emmett said, biting his lip. "Which would be killing an innocent though more specifically you or Sam, then she's still family and I can't deal with the idea of her facing firing squad if she was honestly repentant."

"You know I wouldn't let that happen, right?" Emmeline asked, rubbing his cheek with her thumb. "I want to agree with you."

Emmett stared at her. "You do?"

Emmeline hesitated before answering in complete honesty. "Sort of. I think she already killed an innocent - herself, the woman she was before she became Cinder Fall, but I also recognize that there has probably been some manipulation involved and that it isn't fair to judge her quite yet."


	32. Speaking to the Atmosphere

_**January 3rd  
_**Government Offices of the Atlesian Council  
_**Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**United Kingdom Of Atlas  
_**Uptown  
_**9:35 AM**_**_**_**_**_**_**_

"Eliza," Admiral Winchester said jovially, entering her office. "I like what you've done with the place. I see models of ships were not your forte."

She laughed weakly. "You're retired, sir. You don't have to check in on me."

"I feel obliged to," He replied. "You are, after all, my successor. I feel the need to check in on you just as much as I feel the need to do so with my own son and his family."

Elizabeth sighed. "Everything's fine, you needn't worry."

"How has Karissa liked being raised to your former position?" He asked. "I assumed she'd be thrilled to no longer have to take notes at meetings and instead be viewed as semi-important in them."

"She won't show it, especially since she's only come to a few meetings since Matthew and Percival were born," Elizabeth said with a faint smile. "But I know full well that she does. She never expected to progress so quickly, especially with being a mother, but, honestly, she wouldn't keep getting promoted if she didn't work her ass off all the time and we didn't like her."

"Quite true," Winchester agreed. "You know, when you think about it, the military is akin to an exclusive club in its own right. Us admirals and generals, after all, are exclusive and decide who gets to join our ranks and who doesn't."

Elizabeth quirked an eyebrow. "Sounds to me like you've denied plenty of people a rise before."

"And you would be correct," He replied. "I never took the power given to me lightly, and I hope that people remember that of me."

"Your reputation is remarkable," Elizabeth stared at him almost incredulously. "It was part of why I was so surprised you vouched for me."

Winchester shook his head. "Elizabeth, there should not be surprise there. I value honesty and justice above all else and you brought that forth at great personal risk. Rebecca Neale has been stripped of her position and will likely end up behind bars after her trial wraps, and you provided information that has proven invaluable. It also shed light onto the details of a remarkably serious and devastating matter. If that did not make you worthy to become the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, then I sincerely doubt anything else would have."

She was given pause and tapped her nails against her desk in anxious thought.

"Thank you, Admiral Winchester," She said after a moment. "I think I needed that."

"Of course, Eliza," He said with a smile. "But I hope you know I am telling you the truth and nothing more. Flattery is not my style, after all."

"I believe you," She said with a faint smile. "You have always told people things as you perceive them."

"That is the best thing someone in a position of power can do," Winchester said, then shaking his head. "I have to say, Elizabeth, you're taking all of this surprisingly well. Most people given power like yours – especially considering you're only in your thirties – would have had an inflated ego."

She eyed him critically for a moment. "I still think you are giving me more credit than I deserve."

"If that's what you believe, then I sincerely hope that you'll grow into the position," Winchester said, rubbing his neck. "I have great faith in you, Elizabeth, and I hope that you do not prove me wrong."

"I do too," She said softly. "I have more to atone to than I…"

Her eyes drifted to her scroll, noticing a new message from Tai.

"You're doing better, aren't you?" Winchester sent her a knowing smile. "Perhaps we'll be able to move forward, and wouldn't that be a treat for us all…"

* * *

_**January 23rd  
_**City of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**Downtown  
_**2:34 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"Look who I brought with me!" Emmett said happily as Glynda laughed and he stepped into her and James' apartment. "Little Samara!"

He set down his two bags and the carrier his daughter was in. She had been looking around curiously the whole time, or, at least, while she hadn't been sleeping.

"Emmy's at a meeting with some people on the base," Emmett told her. "I assume James is at work?"

She nodded. "Yes, but, at the very least, he's staying at home for the next few months."

"The girls asleep?" Emmett asked, leaning down, smiling at his daughter and lightly tickling her, causing the little girl to giggle. "Or are they hiding?"

"Caity's napping, but Ivy's playing with her dolls," Glynda replied, shutting the door behind him. "She would be a mess without them, but I think she'll wake up soon."

Emmett winked. "That's fair enough. How are you, though?"

Glynda sighed. "I'm fine, Emmett. Exhausted, perhaps, but fine."

He smiled. "Good, although maybe you need a nap just as much as your daughter."

"It's not that much of a problem, Emmett," She said, tiredly raking her fingers through her hair. "Besides, I don't go back to work until mid-March."

"A relief if we ever knew one," He remarked with a small chuckle. "I doubt I could handle those teenagers if I had to teach them all year-round."

"Speaking of which, Barty told me just the other day that you're going to have to start planning your own lessons with Spencer," Glynda sent him an amused but pointed look. "I still don't know how you two convinced him to let you both mooch off of his lesson plans from before he finished his doctoral thesis."

"In fairness, Karissa was pregnant at the time and Spence had a lot to think about," Emmett shrugged. "I merely reaped the rewards."

Samara started whining, reaching out from where she was in her carrier, and tried to reach Emmett.

"Hey, Sammie," He said, unbuckling her and bouncing her gently in his arms. "How are you doing, honey? You need anything?"

"Mommy!" Ivy cried from her room. "I hungry!"

"I'll be there in a minute," Glynda called back, quickly stepping over to the fridge, pulling out a bottle, and then grabbing a small bag of fruit snacks from the cabinet. "Sorry, Emmett."

He shrugged whilst he held baby Samara tightly in his arms and followed Glynda back into Ivy's room. The two-year-old perked up considerably upon seeing her mother and started on her bottle almost immediately. Ivy smiled and seemed content for a long time until she looked to her mother with wide eyes. Slowly, she started nibbling on her fruit snacks and bubbling to herself.

"Shh, Ivy," Glynda murmured, sitting down on the floor next to her daughter. "You don't want to wake your sister up."

"I wanna play…" The two-year-old whined, making herself look rather pitiful.

"You know Caity's no fun when she gets woken up," Glynda gently reminded her. "She gets cranky."

Ivy pouted. "Aww…"

"Hey, Ivy," Emmett said, awkwardly crouching down near her. "You remember Sammie, don't you?"

Ivy hesitantly glanced at the baby in his arms and then waved excitedly. Samara giggled in response.

"This is my daughter," He told her. "You two can play if you want, but be nice, okay? Sammie's still itty bitty."

He adjusted himself so his daughter could sit up against him. She happily reached for Ivy's surprisingly long hair and the two-year-old started laughing.

"At least they get along," Glynda remarked, half under her breath. "Hopefully things will improve by the time they have a right to know what's really going on in the room where it happens."

Emmett sighed. "It does seem like things are getting worse, doesn't it?"

"They'll be okay," She said, glancing to where her eldest daughter was still sound asleep. "She sleeps like a rock sometimes and other times she's so sensitive to everything. To tell you the truth, James and I are both worried about her. She's doesn't want to socialize like other kids, and she's extremely attached to me. I have no idea what it will be like when they start preschool in a few years, I really don't."

"But, for a two-year-old, she's smart as hell," Emmett countered. "Honestly, Glynda, I know why you're worried – any parent would be – but she'll find a way. I can't imagine it otherwise. She's already above average, and she's surprisingly opinionated. She'll be fine, and I'll tell James the exact same thing."

"I know," She said, staring at her hands for a moment. "Regardless, she's my baby girl. I can't help but worry about her. I'm not saying I don't worry about Ivy – because I do, albeit in different ways – but it's different. They're both…they're both above average, and they're both…"

"Glynda, think about it this way," Emmett said as gently as he could. "You and James are two of the most capable people I know. I hardly think your kids would be any different."

"You sound like him," She said quietly. "Maybe it is nothing. I could very well be paranoid."

"You're not paranoid," Emmett said, looking amused as he took his glasses back from his daughter, who had moved to snatch them off his face. "If anyone on our team is paranoid, it's me. Emmy's even said as much. I'm constantly in a state of anxiety about her, about Samara, hell, even about you guys and the rest of my family. You're a mother, Glynda, and a damn good mother too."

She rolled her eyes. "I suppose you always have been over-the-top."

"The other day I used my end-of-year bonus to get that fur coat I've been eyeing since I was twenty," He grinned mischievously. "Emmy was pretty pissed, at first, but she got over it quickly when she realized it annoyed the hell out of Ronnie. Not that annoying him is difficult."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to get yourself into trouble?"

"I honestly don't give a damn what Ronnie thinks of me," Emmett admitted. "Come to think of it, I don't think Emmy does either and he's her brother. All and all, as long as we don't overstep too far, he doesn't care and, anyway, he's got far more pressing things on his mind at the moment and believe me when I say they have absolutely nothing to do with his status as a popular senator."

"I'm almost afraid to ask," She remarked, lifting up Caitlin as she started to stir and rocking her gently in her arms. "But what exactly does that mean?"

"Ronnie's been seeing someone," Emmett said with a coy smile. "And you will never guess who it is."

"That I fully believe," She replied, delicately adjusting her thin glasses. "But, go on. Who is Ronnie seeing?"

"Rosella Katt," Emmett smirked. "I didn't even have to lift a finger to uphold the deal I made with him. The two of them met on their own because Ronnie had something pressing to address with Spencer and she stole my shoes and left them on my fucking car."

Glynda eyed him curiously for a moment. "She stole your shoes and left them on top of your car?"

"I was annoyed when I saw it, to be honest," He admitted. "My wife thought it was hilarious, but I disagree. And, yes, Ronnie and Ella have been seeing each other since about the end of May, I think."

"I genuinely have no idea how to respond to that," Glynda said, laughing a little at the thought. "So, that's about eight months now?"

"Yep," Emmett confirmed, perhaps far too cheerfully. "Yet Ronnie is no less of an asshole to the rest of us. Funny how that works."

"Don't be pretentious," Glynda said teasingly. "After all, you're well known for being a diva."

Emmett winked. "That I am."

* * *

_**February 3rd  
_**Patch  
_**6:13 PM**_**_**_

Tai glanced at his phone and smiled upon seeing another new message from Elizabeth.

"What's got you so happy?" Qrow pressed, pouring him a drink. "You've seemed light-hearted recently."

"I've…been seeing someone," He said cautiously. "For about a few months now, officially."

Summer raised an eyebrow. "Who?"

"It's still sort of new, Summer," Tai said awkwardly. "Please don't press me on the subject."

"You know we're going to," Qrow told him. "There's nowhere to hide in this town."

"That's threatening," Tai said dryly. "I don't know if I feel safe in my own home anymore."

Qrow snorted. "That all you've got?"

Summer giggled. "We're going to burn your house down."

"You all live here too," Tai sent her an irritated look. "Can you not press it?"

"We're going to," Qrow repeated. "Spill, Tai. Who are you seeing?"

He sighed heavily, seeing no way out of it. "I've been seeing Elizabeth Morell," He finally said. "She and I met back towards the end of September while I was in Atlas and things have slowly escalated from there."

Summer clasped her hands together excitedly. "That's wonderful!"

"I disagree," Qrow said, scowling at Tai. "Seriously, you're dating the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council? Those are the same people that think they're better than rest of us because they live in the freest nation in the world and are the greatest kingdom. You're dating someone like that?"

"Eliza isn't a bitch, if that's what you're implying," Tai said tersely. "And she's been remarkably gentle with Yang –"

"She's been with Yang?" Qrow dropped his flask in disbelief. "You have got to be kidding me."

"Just because you've got issues with certain people there doesn't mean they're all bad," Tai reminded him. "Your issues are with the Schnees, not the entire kingdom, Qrow."

Qrow began to respond but was sharply elbowed by Summer and fell silent.

"Sorry," He finally said. "I know things have been hard for you."

"Better," Summer murmured.

"Speaking of relationships," Tai said, relieved to have the upper hand for even a moment. "What's been going on between the two of you?"

Summer immediately turned red. "Tai!"

"That might be all I need to know," He remarked, sending Qrow a pointed look. "Funny how the tables have turned."

"You ain't getting anything interesting out of us if we ain't getting anything interesting out of you," He gruffly replied. "If you want details, you better pay us back in kind."

Summer kicked him under the table. "That was one time," She hissed. "And we agreed to be careful because we're not ready to…"

"I know, I know," He said putting his hands up in surrender. "I won't get into it."

Summer let out a heavy breath of relief. "Thank you."

"Oh, and Tai?" Qrow picked up the blender nearby on the counter. "I will literally pay you to let me keep this fruit ninja thing as my drink mixer. Do we have any takers?"

He glowered but behind it was a surprising amount of joy that none of them had seen in him since Raven had left. It seemed that he, like them, was moving forward. If only the peace could last.

* * *

_**February 19th  
_**Schnee Family Manor  
_**City Of Atlas  
_**United Kingdom Of Atlas  
_**3:16 PM**_**_**_**_**_

Willow Schnee smirked faintly when she saw a new text message pop up from her brother.

"See, Weiss," Willow murmured, letting her baby girl grab her finger. "Not everything is terrible."

Something had shifted since her second daughter had been born or, perhaps more accurately, since her brother's wedding. She had done her best to mend fences with her siblings, in part because it set a good precedence for Winter but also because she had felt genuinely guilty for lashing out at them. It had been difficult, at first, but the fact that Emmett was openly forgiving had helped. She knew she had slipped into a lower mood the first few months after Weiss had been born, but things had improved of late. Even with the continued targeting of the company in Vacuo by the new prime minister, Jacques had been careful in controlling his temper and it was because of that she believed things between them were on the upswing. He had been genuinely affectionate, calmed her down from a spell or two, and had forgiven her for the times she snapped. He had been far more patient with Winter, too, although the thirteen-year-old was hesitant to accept any affection from her father at best. At the very least, she seemed to adore her sister.

"Mother?" Winter nervously lingered in the doorway. "May I come in?"

Willow smiled. "Of course, Winter."

She hesitantly stepped in, shifting her weight between her heels and her toes.

"Hi, Weiss," She said, sitting down on the other side of her sister. "Are you doing well?"

The little girl merely shifted her head towards her sister and smiled.

"I'll take that as a yes," Winter said, awkwardly rubbing her neck and then glancing to her mother. "Are you feeling better?"

"I only had a bit of a cold," Willow reminded her, gently resting a hand over hers. "Really, Winter, I'm okay. Last year was just a bit rough for all of us."

Winter began to pick at her nails; a nervous habit she had been trying to stop to little avail.

"I just…" She sighed heavily, ignoring the fact that her hair was hanging over her eyes. "Mother, I just feel so…angry all of the time and I don't always know where it's coming from but it scares me. I don't get along well with most of my classmates, and I don't have very many friends. It's almost as if…it's almost as if there's something wrong with me."

Willow was silent for a long moment, unsure of what to say.

"Winter, listen to me," She said, brushing her daughter's bangs away from her face. "There is nothing wrong with you. You are thirteen years old: of course your emotions are giving you hell. Not to mention the fact that you have a difficult time balancing the heavy course load your taking and you're only in the seventh grade or that you have your training with Emmett, or the challenging relationship you've had with your father since Weiss was born."

Winter bit her lip. "Are you angry with me for insisting she inherit the company instead of me?"

Willow hesitated, knowing that it had not been entirely the young girl's choice, however it might appear to her now.

"I think you were rash in your decision," She finally said. "But if this is the path you want to take, then I will support you. I know that you're trying to do what you believe is right and, even if that doesn't align with my view or your father's, the fact remains that you are our child and we love you."

Winter suddenly lifted up her hand and brushed them over her eyes, almost as if she were ashamed that she had started to cry.

"Win…" Willow said gently. "There's nothing wrong with being emotional. You're not a robot, after all."

"And what if they get in my way?" She said quietly. "What if they prevent me from getting into Atlas Academy or even joining the military?"

"There's a difference between letting them control you and acknowledging how you feel," Willow replied, smiling weakly when Winter started to play with her sister. "I should have figured it out sooner, Winter, but emotions can grant you strength so long as you don't let them overpower you."

She stared down at her hands again, but Willow could have sworn she caught a faint smile.

* * *

_**February 24th  
_**City of Atlas  
_**Atlas  
_**Downtown  
_**6:54 PM**_**_**_**_**_

"Rosella?" Spencer raised an eyebrow when he pulled open the door. "What are you…"

"Ella!" Ronnie all but slammed his brother into the wall upon reaching the door and affectionately drew her in. He slammed the door shut with his foot and ignored the nasty look Spencer was giving him. "I am so glad you made it. Was traffic rough?"

"Not at all," She replied, her tail flicking happily. "I just had to finish up some paperwork since term starts again in a little over two weeks."

"I told you, Sammie," Emmett said, tickling his baby girl. "You're going to be coming to work with daddy, okay? I'm a little boring, but hopefully that means you'll take a nap while I teach."

"And hopefully she'll be the only one napping," Spencer remarked, pulling himself up off the floor and dusting himself off. "Otherwise, I think your job might be at stake."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "I really don't think there are people lining up in droves to teach a bunch of emotionally repressed teenagers about history."

Karissa glanced to him warily. "Where the hell do you two think you work? When I officially return in April, should I be concerned about where you take our kids every day?"

Spencer squeezed her hand reassuringly. "Not at all," He said softly. "Emmett's exaggerating."

Emmett shrugged. "I don't think anyone understands the meaning of the words 'emotionally repressed' until they see an eighteen year old get excited about beating the shit out of a dummy," Emmett chuckled. "I have to admit, that was pretty amusing to watch. It wasn't in my class, obviously, but –"

"You wander during your planning," Spencer finished, handing Natalie her sippy cup with orange juice in it and then poking his head into his sons' room to make sure the little boys were still asleep. "And then," He added, coming back and sitting next to his wife once more. "You mooch off of my lesson plans."

"That sounds about right," Emmett admitted with a shrug. "On the other hand, would you prefer I take risks and ask them on the first day of class what they know – or think they know – about history?"

"I would prefer it if you wouldn't mooch off me," Spencer said, crossing his arms. "Although you do grade most of the papers for me, so I suppose we can call it even."

"You got your lesson plans from Barty, don't even play," Karissa said, laughing when he suddenly pulled her into him and kissed her cheek. "Well you did!"

"He offered!" Spencer protested. "And, for the record, it works!"

Ronnie looked at all of them disdainfully and, after a moment, uncomfortable silence fell over them.

"There is something you all should know," He finally said, sharing a knowing look with Rosella that softened his features considerably. "Ella and I got married two weeks ago."

More silence fell over them until Samara started to cry and Emmeline immediately started to nurse her.

"I'm sorry, what?" Karissa looked completely stunned.

"Ella and I got married two weeks ago," Ronnie repeated, sounding surprisingly patient.

Emmeline took in a sharp breath and Emmett squeezed her knee reassuringly.

"Ronnie," She started slowly, hoping not to startle her daughter. "Have you lost your mind?"

"To be honest, we both thought it was for the best," Rosella put in, although it served only to make them all look more annoyed. "Ronnie and I do have feelings for each other, and it's good for his image to be married and it got my parents to stop riding my ass on the subject."

"I need a drink," Karissa muttered.

Ronnie scowled at her when she stood up and pulled a red wine from the cabinet.

"That's a lovely example to set," He remarked dryly. "Are you trying to –"

"Ronnie, if you think you can waltz in here and tell us you married a woman you've been seeing for a matter of only a few months, then you're out of your mind," She met his stare with narrowed eyes. "I think you know it, too, whether or not you'll admit it."

"There is no reason to be judgmental," He snapped. "For instance, I don't constantly criticize Emmett for being a flamboyant little bitch, now do I?"

Emmett looked distinctly amused. "Flamboyant little bitch?"

Ronnie said nothing but appeared uncomfortable, realizing that he may have undermined his point.

"There is something else you all should know," Ronnie continued, beginning to pace. "Ella and I…were perhaps…not careful and part of why we have been hasty in this is because we will have a child in early July."

Rosella's tail perked up excitedly, but she quickly grabbed it to push it down. Ronnie only smiled, wrapped an arm around her affectionately.

"Hmmmph," Emmeline snorted. "Maybe you'll finally learn to be responsible and not step all over the laws you create in the first place."

Ronnie sent her a dark look. "That's not true, and you know it."

"Is it?" Emmeline sighed. "Well, regardless, hopefully you'll manage. I'd prefer it if my niece or nephew didn't end up in the position we did growing up with a cold mother and a distant but occasionally affectionate father."

Ronnie swallowed hard. "You have no idea how much I want to avoid making our parents mistakes…none of you do, do you?"

In the end, he never got an answer.


	33. Love Cure

**_March 5th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:38 PM_**

"Aww, how old is she?" One of the other mothers of the group asked Emmett, who, as the only father present, looked rather awkward.

"Just over six months," He said, rubbing his neck with his free hand while the other was keeping Samara sitting up right. "She'll turn one on the thirtieth of September."

"She's adorable," Another woman remarked, waving a hand in front of Samara's face. "Hi, baby."

Emmett was silently cursing himself for thinking that any of this had been a good idea. For the last hour, he had been trying to come up with a reasonable excuse to leave and just take his daughter to pick up groceries or anything else he could devise to do on a Saturday afternoon. Samara had been unamused by the attention the moms of the other children had been giving her, and she had shown little interest in the other kids that had shown interest in her. It seemed that other babies and toddlers poking at her and bubbling with their limited vocabulary annoyed her, given that she had swatted at a few of them before she had begun to contentedly suck on her frozen strawberry teething ring. Emmett would have given anything for his wife to have been with him or, better yet, instead of him but it had been his idea and she had to work. There was no way around it.

"The poor girl must be having a hard time with teething," The first mom said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "No wonder she's not feeling very social."

Emmett said nothing for a moment, personally believing that Samara had inherited some of the Schnee family psychitity. It was tied directly to their semblance, he knew, and tended to manifest itself in different ways for each family member. He, like his mother, had visions whether they interrupted his day or manifested in his dreams. Cristal and Willow, surprisingly, had both always been highly attuned to the energy around them which he knew was draining on the best of days. Ashlynn had always been tight-lipped about what abilities she had, and none of them had ever wanted to press it. After everything she had endured at the hands of their mother – whom Emmett had never really known – it was the least they could do to allow her privacy. It mattered little, at any rate. He was all but certain that Samara was in tap with energy, like his two other sisters, and it explained a lot. Even Emmeline had agreed with him, after he had managed to explain it in a cohesive way.

"I think she might be overwhelmed," Emmett finally said. "This is the first time she's ever been in a group with more than two or three people her age."

The woman reached over and touched his arm sympathetically. "That must be difficult for you. Are you a single parent too? It would be nice not to be the only one."

Emmett quickly shifted his right hand to be supporting his daughter and very bluntly gestured to his wedding ring on his left.

"I'm happily married," He told her. "My wife's in the military and has to work. Come to think of it, I do too but, since I'm a teacher, I can bring Sammie with me."

She looked disappointed. "I see," She said with pursed lips. "Well, that's nice."

"Nep!" Samara yelled at a little boy who tried to grab her teething ring. "Nep!"

"Sorry," Emmett said, swooping her up into his arms. "I think it might be about her nap time."

"See you next Saturday!" A few of them called, waving at him.

Emmett waved back shortly, mostly out of convention, before he set Samara back in her carrier, pulled her blanket over her bare feet, and buckled her in while she smiled at him and began to suck on her teething ring again. He breathed a sigh of relief as soon as he was out of the townhouse of one of the other parents and he felt even better once his daughter was secure in the car. He glanced back to her and let her pull on his finger for a moment before he buckled himself in and started off towards the store. He knew they needed more laundry detergent, anyways, and he still hadn't picked up what he needed to cook dinner. Feeling more content than he had in the last few hours, Emmett turned up the radio a slight notch and began to sing along to the Vanessa Carlton single they had all heard a thousand times, smiling when he saw his daughter bopping along in her car seat.

"Yep?" Emmett snatched up his buzzing scroll from the cupholder while he was stopped at the light. "I thought you believe I'm a flamboyant little bitch, Ronnie? What is it?"

He sighed. "I shouldn't have said that, Emmett, how many times do I have to apologize?"

He chuckled, glancing back to his still reasonably content daughter before moving again as the light turned green.

"Fair enough," He said. "You are my brother-in-law. So, in the spirit of family, what is it?"

"I have no idea what I'm going to do," He said, his voice getting faster with every word he spoke. "Ella and I found out just this morning that we're going to have a daughter and I know next to nothing about raising a girl, let alone any child in –"

"First, calm down, you make it sound like this is the end of your life," Emmett said pointedly. "Second, I think the two of you will figure things out, if only because the two of have more money than I ever expect I'll see in my life."

"I suppose that's fair," He mumbled. "But not particularly helpful."

"You want to take care of a baby?" Emmett shook his head, hardly believing what he was about to suggest. "Tell you what: I'm lacking in all motivation to do anything tomorrow, so why don't you and Ella come over tomorrow evening and look after Samara while I take my wife out?"

Ronnie considered that. "You'll tell us what to do, right?"

Emmett laughed, fidgeting with his glasses. "I'll leave you a set of instructions and tell you where everything is. That fair?"

"Fair," Ronnie agreed, if a bit grudgingly. "And…thank you."

Emmett smiled to himself. "No problem."

* * *

**_March 26th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:34 PM_**

President Annabella Sassler stepped into the press room of the presidential manor with her heels clicking menacingly. She knew what she was about to say would, likely, not be received well but she believed she had no choice. It had been just under three years since the assassination of Edward Ciel, and, regardless of the fact that she was running for re-election, she did not believe they had done enough in the war they had begun against the separatists who had been responsible for the attacks that fateful, infamous day. The very thought of them – Sienna Kahn amongst her other associates – made her skin crawl and her blood boil. There was an immensely personal anger behind it, she knew, but she pushed it aside. She had more than enough evidence from the intelligence agencies and the security council to do what she was prepared to. The last week had been a difficult one for her, between both preparation and the knowledge of the implications of her actions, but she had made her decision and would not be deterred from it, not now.

It made her sick to acknowledge that what she was doing would squeeze the poorer parts of the kingdom painfully dry – from Mantle to the deep southern farmers that had all been struggling for years and even to the miners in the midwest or the unstable refineries scattered throughout – but it had to be done. The funds directed towards improving those areas would have to be temporarily set back, and they did not affect the majority of the population. It was true that there were many wealthy families in Atlas, and it was true in the opposite but most of the people were settled comfortably in the middle class and they all needed the security the motion she was about to set forth would provide. The defenses in the kingdom had greatly improved in the last few years, but they had made little progress in tracking down Kahn herself and had only managed to kill a handful of her top advisors and thwart the plans of many of her lower-level separatists. The leaders of Menagerie had signed a sworn affidavit declaring that they would not stand for such violence from their people, but Sassler doubted their effectiveness and power. It had always been set for her to be forced to act, and now she would.

The cameras turned to her and the attention of everyone in the room fell solely in her direction. Her hands were shaking as she reached up to adjust the microphone, and her breathing was still difficult to steady. The words she had well-rehearsed were before her on the podium and yet she was still horribly nervous. This would either be what saved them, or it would be the end of her political career. She had already come to terms with either outcome, but she naturally favored the former. She would not be viewed as a coward by the enemies of the state, and she would not let her people be harmed by them either. She had meant every word of her oath when she had been sworn in and she was prepared to do whatever it took to defend them against all enemies and to uphold their republic. Taking in a deep breath and evening her composure, she nodded shortly to one of her security guards who silenced the murmurs in the room with a single wave of the hand and the cameras continued to roll, anticipating her words.

"It is with deep regret I inform the kingdom that we have made little progress in our pursuit of Sienna Kahn beyond capturing a few of her inner circle and defeating, in armed conflict, lower-level separatists of her group," Sassler began slowly, struggling to seem calm and emotionless. "With that in mind, I have been left with no other option but to declare a state of national emergency. As you all are well-aware, we intercepted transmissions that were verified to be of her inner circle's. Those transmissions gave details of plans for another set of attacks, set against both us and our closest ally: Vale. For that reason, I signed the declaration this morning and have directed the assumed funds to the military. As commander-in-chief, I also am directing are undeployed, active troops to the areas most critical to thwarting these plans. The details, of course, are vital to national security and I am sorry I cannot provide you with more information but please know that I am doing this to prevent another calamity. Peace has been fragile since the turn of the century, I'm afraid, and this was the only option I had left for the time being."

She paused, still feeling a tad nauseated while murmurs of both understanding and dissent began to overtake the room. The noise seemed to be rising by the second, and it only heightened her fears.

"President Sassler, is starting another war really a good idea?" One of the reporters finally said. "We are already on the ground in several provinces in Vacuo, not to mention those we've been tracking down at sea around Menagerie."

"These separatists are steadily recuperating themselves and we have to be prepared to strike back before they act," She said shortly. "If there were a way around it, believe me, I would have sought it by now."

They stared at her for a moment, almost in disbelief, but then nodded respectfully and sat down.

"This may be one of the greatest threats the kingdom of Atlas has faced since the last major war," She said, her hands tightening around the podium. "And that is why this has become necessary. I am not seeking conflict, and it becomes harder to continue every day when I have to see the damage reports, but we cannot stop. We will not let ourselves fall to this enemy or any foe that may arise. We will never surrender to anyone."

But, as much as her affirmation may have eased some of the fears of her people, it did little to ease her own.

* * *

**_April 8th_**

**_City of Rishara_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_2:14 PM_**

"I'll handle it," Rosalinde Varna said, sounding almost bored as she spoke with yet another disgruntled council member through her scroll. "Yes, yes, I know. Bye."

She deftly ended the call and sighed, leaning back against the plush sofa she had in her remarkably swanky rowhouse. She knew they were angry with her for moving some of the pieces into her hands, but her assurances seemed to settle the problems almost as quickly as they arose. She couldn't help but be pleased with herself. The council was as malleable as she had predicted and, even better, they seemed willing to do what she requested so long as she provided a semi-plausible explanation. It was absolute heaven. Everything she had ever wanted was at her fingertips, it seemed, and now she knew exactly what her predecessor must have felt. The people revered her, so far as she could tell, and she had played along well in her false mourning. She had never liked him much, and it had been so easy to dispose of him. He had always prided himself on his intelligence but, evidently, he was not smart enough to evade her own wits.

Rose couldn't stop the laugh from escaping her. She was completely alone, and she could hide her public face for the time being. After all, what concerned her more was dealing with the woman behind her predecessor's disease. The people had no idea she existed, nor that she had forced a grimm host to overtake the last prime minister's body but Rosalinde had it figured out from almost the start. Nobody withered away that quickly unless there was something much more powerful behind it and the fact that there had been no certain diagnosis and no cure proved her suspicions. In her mind, that had meant she had to kill him. He was a threat to the peace that everyone had been taking for granted in the last two decades, and she was not going to let Vacuo be responsible for the downfall of them all. It warmed her to know that not only had she gained power, but she had cut a hole into the Queen's plans. With that behind her, she was certain she could do almost anything. There were no longer any boundaries beyond the group, but she was personally tied not to act too suddenly. She knew none of them were sure how or to what extent they should trust her.

Then there was the matter of Ozpin himself. Rose knew she had long harbored an interest him well-beyond the scope of their professional bounds and it stung every time she saw his wife or daughter. The little girl was a reminder that he did not love her, and she, alongside the ring on her mother's left hand, was living proof of his devotion to Cristal. Rose could see the attraction. She, after all, was highly intelligent, reasonably successful even though she had only started practicing law in the last few years, and she was beautiful. It wasn't hard to find things that endeared him to her. Rose often denied her own thoughts, if only because they made her feel like her mother, but it could be difficult, at times, to not act in contrary to the Atlesian prosecutor, even when she and the others were right. It terrified her through what lay between her skin and bones to think that there was even a hint of her mother in her, and then she recalled the reason she had her powers as a sorceress in the first place. The book. That damn book her mother had always tempted her with had gotten the best of her. It wasn't all bad, she tried to reason, but it was a constant reminder.

Rose hated her mother with all of her being, never-mind that she was dead. Her entire life she had been pushed and prodded into doing things that she had not always wanted to do, and it had all been to either please her mother or become more powerful. What she realized far too late was that the two went hand in hand. Her mother had been clever, and she had been too young to realize that she was being taken advantage of. After she died shortly after Rose's twentieth birthday, the young woman had vowed to be stronger than her beyond the grave. Her mother would never reap the benefits of the few valuable lessons she had instilled in her daughter, and Rose alone would become something of a monarch herself. A benevolent one, she always told herself, but, as time went on, she knew it would be less and less likely to happen in that way. She had to suppress the people who sought to unseat her, and she had to take risks to keep the people in line. Only then would they be able to stand against whatever was to come their way and she would be their savior.

Her scroll began to buzz again, and she glanced to the ID for only a moment before deciding to ignore it. If the leaders of the opposition wanted so badly to speak with her, they could come and find her themselves. She would not give them an advantage over her, nor would she show even a hint of weakness. Her whole life she had been underestimated, and now she was putting an end to it. She would be the woman her mother never could have dreamed possible, even in the woman's most perverse fantasies. Perhaps it was true that she knew nothing of loyalties, and perhaps she did betray the ideals of self-sufficiency and a practically non-existent government valued so much by her people, but she did not care. At the end of the day, what mattered was handling the puppet master and destroying her to the best of their abilities. It would be a long time before they that success, but it would come soon enough and, if she could seduce Ozpin, that would give her everything she had ever wanted.

* * *

**_April 13th_**

**_Patch_**

**_5:34 PM_**

Summer Rose immediately pushed herself between Qrow and Tai, both of whom seemed about ready to attack the other. The had been going at each other for about an hour now and, in that time, had somehow not managed to wake up Yang from her late nap and, by some miracle, hadn't broken anything or harmed each other. It was getting ridiculous. She had let them go at first, deciding instead to focus on writing up her report from her last mission but she was sick of it and neither of them needed to end up in the ER with a black eye or worse. They both took a step back upon her shoving them away from each other so suddenly, and a heavy silence fell over the room in which there had been yelling just a moment before.

"I have had enough of your nonsense!" She finally exclaimed, scowling at both of them. "You are grown men and one of you has the responsibility of raising a child! I would think that you were both smarter than this!"

Qrow crossed his arms. "Really, you're taking his side?"

"I'm not taking either of your sides," Summer informed him. "Because both of your sides are stupid! Honestly, Qrow, you could leave Tai alone about his personal life and –"

"Thank you," Tai said, sending Qrow a pointed look. "See –"

"You're not much better!" She said, turning on him. "I will say you're more right than he is, but you shouldn't keep undermining your own point by getting up in arms over this! For heaven's sake, you have a daughter to think about too! This can't just be about you and your girlfriend!"

Tai sighed. "If you think that's the case, then you're wrong."

"Then do explain," She said icily. "Go on. Explain to me why you think it's a good idea to get in a fight with your teammate who is helping care for his niece, who sure as hell isn't going to have an easy childhood at the rate we're going!"

Tai fell silent for a time, guilt bubbling up in him. For the most part, he never let Yang out of his sight, and did everything he could to help her, but he hadn't thought much about the part both Qrow and Summer had in his ability to keep her safe.

"I know I've been difficult," He eventually said. "And I'm sorry if I've taken out some of my stress on the two of you but I am doing the best I can. This is hard enough, what with knowing that Yang isn't ever going to know her mother, and it's certainly not easy balancing my relationship with Elizabeth alongside the rest of my life."

Summer pursed her lips in consideration. "I suppose that's fair."

"Look," Tai said, running a hand through his already disheveled hair. "I'm sorry. If you two need me to try and fix things, I will but it can't be at the expense of Eliza. I'm starting to wonder what would have happened to me if we –"

"Spare us the details," Qrow told him.

"I honestly love her," Tai said, a little stunned by the admission. "And I wish you could understand that."

Qrow eyed him critically. "Alright, how about this," He said gruffly. "For my niece's sake, I will set aside whatever hard feelings I have towards Elizabeth and the rest of Atlas."

Tai nodded shortly. "Okay."

"I still don't understand what you have against Atlas," Summer noted, her tone only a bit lighter. "I know you and Emmett Schnee have developed a…deep and personal loathing…but I don't see why that would apply to the rest of them."

"It applies because Schnee and his entire damn family are the pinnacle of Atlesian entitlement and selfishness," Qrow bitterly replied. "I've lost some good friends because of people like them, Sums, and I don't care if they had a hand in it or not."

She shook her head. "That doesn't sound like a good way to live."

"I don't hate all of them," Qrow reminded her. "I might have disagreements with James and Glynda, but I don't resent them. I don't even have anything against Cristal, but she seems to be an anomaly in that family. I trust the rest of them because I trust Oz…but that doesn't mean I like them in the slightest."

* * *

**_April 27th_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_11:14 AM_**

Glynda nearly broke her scroll when she dropped it upon hearing the upset scream of her daughter in the tiny courtyard just outside of their apartment, which, much to her relief, was on the first floor. James was outside with the twins, and it sounded like he was trying to calm their eldest down. She ran, never mind her bare feet, out of the door and into the courtyard in about a minute. As it happened, her eldest was sobbing and pointing accusingly at the grass. She had climbed onto James' leg, and he was holding her steady but she pushed off of him and ran to her mother as soon as she saw her. The little girl tripped, though, and skinned her knee, causing her to cry even more.

"Goosie, what is it?" Glynda immediately picked up her daughter and wrapped her scarf around her bleeding knee. "Caity?"

The little girl was still hyperventilating and curled tightly against her mother, but she was evidently comforted by Glynda's heartbeat.

"She stepped into the grass and then started sobbing," James told her, and Glynda sighed, glancing to Ivy who was more than happily rolling around and enjoying the sunshine and green space. "I couldn't tell you what triggered it if I tried. She just started crying. I've never seen her act like that before, except for when…"

She paused and then shook her head. "You know why I'm worried about her."

"I know," James said, heading over to Ivy. "Ives," He started gently. "Do you know what upset your sister?"

The two-year-old looked confused. "Caity hates grass." She said simply.

"It hurts me…" Caitlin mumbled, her eyes still wet from tears.

"It hurts you?" Glynda repeated, looking at her daughter worriedly. "How?"

"It hurts!" She insisted, starting to cry again.

"Okay, okay," Glynda said, gently rubbing her back. "Shh, honey, it's alright. Do you want to come back inside with me?"

The little girl nodded weakly.

"I'll fix you a snack," She told her, sharing a worried look with James before carrying her back inside. "But you have drink your milk too, okay? Do you want it in the bottle or sippy cup?"

"Cup…" She said, sniffing from the tears.

Glynda set her down in the low-window seat she and Ivy loved to have lunch in and then stepped over to the fridge. She briefly considered warming the milk before putting in the cup but, off a brief glance back at her daughter, decided against it. The two-year-old never had shown much of a preference for whether it was warm or not although, unbeknown to her, concerned both of her parents how little she was willing to eat beyond a small scope. Her allergies, too, were worse in the spring and the poor girl had always had trouble with them. Feeling almost resigned, Glynda pulled the weekly allergy prescription from the cabinet and crushed the pill up before stirring it into the little girl's applesauce. She already knew she would know something was different – it was almost eerie how she could tell when things were changed from her routine – but they had a system.

"It tastes funny again," Caitlin told her, sniffing the applesauce.

"Keep eating it," Glynda replied. "After you finish that and your milk, you can have a mini peanut butter cup, remember?"

It was the best way she had found to handle her daughter in this particular situation and, however much it bothered her, she didn't use it for anything else. Everything else she did with both of her girls was based around reason and explaining why or why not they could do or have something. Her daughter stared at her for a moment but then did so rather quickly. She was slower on her milk, but she was calming down and that was a relief for her mother. She smiled when Glynda sat down beside her and gave her the small sweet, but she didn't go for it right away. Instead, she set it down and curled tightly into her mother.

"You make me feel better…" She said quietly. "Love you, mommy."

Glynda pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead. "I love you too, goosie."

* * *

**_May 3rd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:29 PM_**

"I still can't believe you trust Ronnie of all people with your daughter," Cristal said, sending her brother a pointed look. "I mean, really, are you crazy?"

"No," Emmett said, glancing to his sleeping daughter who was more than content in her mother's arms. "It was fine, Chrissy. We tell them what to do and everything. Honestly, it seems like he and Ella bond with her and it's sweet."

"Or he lets Samara mess with him and has given up on caring about it," Emmeline added with a faint smile. "Either way, it was fine. I don't see why you're so alarmed. He is my brother."

"To be honest, I would be hesitant to let him take care of Carleigh," Ozpin admitted. "Although that may very well be because I don't trust anyone but myself or Chrissy to."

Cristal sighed. "I'm just relieved that the spring holidays are approaching so you can come home. I'm starting to feel like a bad mother."

"You're not," He assured her, tucking a stray lock of hair behind her ear. "Your job is in Atlas and mine is in Vale. I'm home on the weekends and during holidays and that's the best we can do right now. You still talk to her every night."

"She's my baby, though!" Cristal exclaimed, burying her face in her hands and starting to cry. "I'm supposed to…I…"

"Cristal…" Emmeline said gently. "You are not a bad mother. It's not as if you get her to fall asleep by dipping her pacifier in whisky or something. You are just fine."

"No, I'm not," She whimpered, only marginally comforted by Ozpin rubbing her back with his free hand. Their daughter was securely in his other arm and looked caught between concern and confusion. "I can't be, not…not…"

The door to the apartment opened and she glanced towards the door.

"Chrissy?" Willow seemed to hover in disbelief and she slowly shut the door behind her. "Are you okay?"

She said nothing, struggling with what seemed to be too many thoughts swirling around her head.

"Separation anxiety," Emmett whispered to her, and Willow bit her lip. "She's had a rough time between...everything and being slammed with about three different, brutal cases."

"I know," Willow said, twisting her hair in her hands.

"How's Weiss?" Emmett asked, trying to lighten the mood a bit. "She was a little bundle of energy the last time I saw her, and she's still itty bitty."

Willow laughed weakly. "She's fine."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "I don't think I've seen you so much as smile in a while."

"There's no reason not to," Willow replied, hesitantly glancing to her sister. "Chrissy, if there's anything you need –"

"It's fine," She told her despite not fully believing her own words. "I'm probably just overworked and exhausted because of it."

The two sisters stared at each other for a moment in silence.

"Let me take you out tomorrow afternoon," Willow finally said. "You and I haven't had coffee together in a long time, have we?"

Cristal hesitated. "Are you sure you want to?"

Willow scowled. "Do you honestly think I would –"

"Alright, alright," Cristal said tiredly. "Sure. That would be nice."

"You can bring Carleigh, too," Willow put in off a subtle look from Ozpin. "I haven't been able to spend a lot of time with my niece either."

Cristal managed a small smile. "Maybe you're right…maybe things will have a chance to going back to what they were."

"I hope that will be the case," Willow said softly, staring at her hands. "For all of our sakes."


	34. First Burn

**_May 14th_**

**_Patch_**

**_3:15 PM_**

"Hello, Elizabeth," Qrow said with stifling etiquette, even affecting an uncomfortable bow. "I haven't seen you around here in a while."

She raised an eyebrow and glanced nervously to Tai who squeezed her hand reassuringly.

"Qrow," She said shortly. "You seem to be doing well."

He shrugged. "More or less, yeah. Don't worry, I'll stay out of your way."

Qrow slipped quickly out the back door, albeit sending Tai a sharp look when he did so.

"That was…unnerving," Elizabeth said with a slightly nervous laugh. "Is he already drunk?"

"He agreed to play nice," Tai informed her, looping an arm around hers. "Problem is, I don't think he really knows how to."

Elizabeth sighed. "You didn't have to ask him to do that. He has every right to be angry with –"

"You have never done anything to him," Tai gently reminded her. "For all of the problems Atlas might have politically, he can't take his disagreements out on you."

Elizabeth looked a bit skeptical, for a moment, but said nothing and let it slide.

"I am glad you were able to come visit," Tai said as the two of them sat down on the couch, not paying much mind to the news which had been on all morning. "But you didn't have to clear your schedule for the week. I could have come up."

"I needed a break," She admitted. "And I didn't think it was very fair to keep forcing you to come visit me all of the time."

Tai smiled. "I love you so much."

Elizabeth turned pink. "Tai…"

"I mean it," He said, resting his hands over hers. "I really do."

She bit her lip. "I know –"

"Tai, where are the…" Summer glanced up from the rather long list in her hands and paused awkwardly upon seeing Elizabeth. "Hi…"

"What are you looking for?" Tai asked, embarrassed.

"The new weapon supplies," She told him, crossing her arms. "You didn't leave them to Qrow's discretion, did you?"

"When did anyone here order new weapon supplies?" Tai glanced apologetically to Elizabeth. "They better not have been expensive."

Summer grimaced. "That's the problem," She said, shifting. "They kind of were."

"Just…" Tai shook his head. "Just try and find them, okay?"

Summer nodded and ran out to the small shed in the backyard.

"I am so sorry about how dysfunctional everything is around here," Tai said as soon as she was gone. "I don't even know what she's talking about and –"

"Tai," Elizabeth said gently. "I don't mind."

"Are you sure?" He said nervously. "Because –"

"Look, as long as they don't start watching our every move, I don't care," Elizabeth laughed weakly. "Not that I imagine either of them will think to do that."

"Shh…" Tai whispered with a smirk. "They could be listening right now."

She rolled her eyes. "Then prove it."

He swiftly kissed her cheek. "Believe me," He said. "Tonight, I will."

* * *

**May 20th**

**City of Vale**

**Vale**

**Downtown**

**5:17 PM**

"Emmett?" Glynda said, eyeing her teammate curiously. "Did you hear a word anyone just said?"

"Huh?" He said, startled for a moment and almost dropping his scroll.

Emmeline elbowed him sharply and he shut off his scroll almost immediately.

"Sorry, it's just that Chrissy…she just needed to talk to me and Willa," He said, rubbing his arm from where his wife had elbowed him. "And damn it, Emmy, I thought you wanted something from me based on last night, but that hurt!"

Emmeline sighed, sending him a look that suggested he shut up before he said anything embarrassing. "That wasn't what I was trying to do."

"I know," He said, pulling her in and then playfully ruffling her hair. "We even?"

She scowled. "You really want to call it that?"

Samara, who had been crawling between her parents, rolled over and started giggling.

"Hi, Sammie…" Emmett said, tickling her feet. "You having a good day?"

The little girl grinned and waved at him.

"So, I have to ask," James started almost hesitantly. "Is Cristal alright?"

"She's fine," Emmett told him. "Just…well…I don't think I'm at liberty to say."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "What's that supposed to mean?"

Emmett sent Emmeline an almost pleading look and, after a moment, her eyes widened in understanding and she nodded.

"It's not classified," She finally said. "She's just a little more keyed up than usual."

"I'm not surprised," James said. "From what I heard, the case she was just placed on is brutal."

"That might be an understatement, all things considered," Emmett said under his breath.

"Hi!" Ivy toddled into the room and all but tackled Samara into a hug. "Sammie!"

Samara playfully tugged at her hair, causing Ivy to do the same.

"They are adorable," Emmeline said with a smile. "And I get the feeling that Ivy's going to be a huntress."

"I see it too," Glynda admitted. "Her sister not as much, but maybe."

"Boop!" Ivy exclaimed, tapping Samara's nose.

"B…op?" The little girl tried to imitate.

Ivy looked rather proud of herself. "Yeah!"

Samara grinned and crawled onto Emmett to snatch his glasses off his face.

"Sammie…" He protested, trying to grab them back. "My vision is bad enough without me running into things because I can't find my glasses."

"Here," Glynda said, looking rather amused. "It's not that hard, you know."

"Maybe for you," He replied. "You're not half-blind without them."

She laughed. "I suppose that's fair."

"Caity!" Ivy yelled upon seeing her sister hesitantly step into the room, clutching her bear. "Hi!"

She waved awkwardly and then ran over to her mother and curled up against her.

"I told you everything would be okay," James murmured, softly kissing his wife. "And they have been."

She sighed. "I guess we can only hope they'll stay that way."

* * *

**_June 8th_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_2:54 PM_**

There was more tension hanging over the room than usual. Although the meeting had been called unexpectedly and was supposed to be about the possibility of Salem pushing Ashlynn Schnee, or Cinder Fall, into a position to inherit the powers of maiden, considering the increased amount of power that had been demonstrated by the former Schnee, it had turned into a debate over a news article that Qrow had been reading that pertained to him, Tai, and Elizabeth. As it happened, the three of them had been in Atlas together a few weeks prior and had gone out to a bar to have a few drinks. It had ended in Qrow dancing on top of one of the tables, Tai pseudo-stripping in front of his girlfriend, and Elizabeth getting tipsy to the point of allowing him to be openly affectionate with her.

The Atlesian news outlets had a field day over it, just as much as they had when there was a sudden senate filibuster or when something shocking happened, such as Sassler's zero tolerance policy with regard to the terrorists that they had been fighting for a few years. Since March, they had been in a state of national emergency and because of it entered another war. The zero tolerance policy had been set in place by the legislature and approved by Sassler in late May, ironically just two days after the article in question was published. There was far more to focus on in Atlas than gossip about politicians, and it had blown over quickly. Yet, while it didn't truly concern her, Rosalinde Varna was pissed. She had found herself more and more irritable of late, although this had more to do with the things that she had found herself having to deal with when it came to the council of Vacuo of which she presided over than with the other members of the group.

Regardless, it turned her into a demon.

"You did what?" Rose demanded, her hands on her hips. "Are you fuc -"

"Rose!" Cristal sharply cut across her, gently rocking her sleeping daughter in her carrier.

"What?" She turned around quickly and sent her and Ozpin a dark look. "The two of them let Torchwick and Cinder get away -"

"Technically," Emmett said, glancing disdainfully at Qrow. "The two of them didn't let Torchwick and Cinder get away. Or did you conveniently forget the part where the police saved their sorry asses after Elizabeth went home?"

Rose huffed irritably, hating all of them. "Ugh, none of you get it do you? Why were the two of them at that bar anyways -"

Emmeline glared at her. "Eliza was there too, so if you're going to criticize them then you have to criticize her too."

"Bullshit," Rose said. "Morell is different because she isn't part of this little inner circle. She's not someone I am particularly worried about."

"That doesn't help," Emmeline said, crossing her arms. "She was probably just as drunk as they were -"

"Oh please, no one can be as drunk as Qrow Branwen, although I won't deny how shocked I was by the next day's news report. But with regard to Qrow..." Rose narrowed her eyes as Qrow pulled out his flask. "What was it Glynda said the other day?"

"I said that he's always drunk," Glynda said tersely, crossing her arms. "Which is true."

"See?" Rose sent Qrow a sharp look. "Even Glynda thinks that no one can be as drunk as you and -"

"I swear to god Rose -" Cristal said, shaking her head tiredly.

"Let me make this clear," Rose said, pulling up the news article from the day after it had happened. "This," She said, gesturing to the article and looking at Tai in disgust. "Is apparently what happened when you got your girlfriend – who just so happens to be an important Atlesian leader – drunk. Hmmph, getting frisky with her in public, and I thought the two of you had decided against doing something like that, considering her status."

Tai looked suddenly rather awkward. He was embarrassed that he had almost gotten Elizabeth into trouble, no matter that it had been acknowledged and then quickly forgotten with no lasting consequences for her. She had not been working, and she was in far more relaxed clothing than she usually was, but the truth remained that it was unusual for her to be so young and in her position and that made her a target. She had not spoken of it since then, and he had known better than to press it, but he still felt guilty. He could have caused her serious problems both politically and personally and, while their relationship was not a secret, it had still been an easy, temporary piece of gossip to latch onto. He privately believed that Sassler had made her announcement of the zero-tolerance policy for terrorism early to do Elizabeth a personal favor, but he could never prove it nor would he ask. It was an uncomfortable situation for everyone involved, and he was just grateful that a month had now passed and everyone had moved on.

At least, everyone except for Vacuo's prime minister, it seemed.

"Everyone does ill advised things when they're drunk," He finally said. "And it's not as if it was a scandal -"

"True," Rose said. "You two have already been scandalous enough."

"Rose!" Summer exclaimed angrily even though she knew that the woman was simply jaded at the world and not the rest of them. "That's -"

"I'm sorry," Rose said, rolling her eyes. "But there is a reasonably significant age difference between the two of them, and I would be willing to be that their relationship started because the two of them decided to say oui to voulez-vous coucher avec moi ce soir? Voulez-vous coucher avec moi? "

"Rosalinde Diana Varna!" Ozpin snapped in abject annoyance. "This is all completely unnecessary as I am sure you are well aware!"

"It's still true!" Rose snapped back, crossing her arms. "And that's not even mentioning –"

"Drop it," Emmett told her. "This isn't doing us any good."

Rose turned on him. "I have problems with you and your family too."

Anger seeping through him, Emmett protectively drew Emmeline closer which startled her slightly. "How dare you?" He hissed. "Emmy and I -"

"Sorry," Rose said sarcastically. "I almost forgot the fact that the two of you -"

"What the hell is wrong with you?" Cristal exclaimed, unable to hide her annoyance. "Are you trying to make things worse than they already are?"

Rose turned on her with a frosty glare. "Don't you focus far more on your career than your family? I thought you didn't give so much as even half a damn about your…what is it, just now three-year-old daughter except for when it doesn't impede on your career?"

Cristal felt her hands shaking and, despite herself, felt one of them protectively rest over her flat abdomen.

Rose raised an eyebrow. "Let me guess," She said, drawing her words out with unnecessary cruelty. "You're pregnant again, aren't you?"

Cristal stared at her for a moment, unable to respond. Since she had received her law certifications, she had dealt with horrible colleagues, disturbingly suave defense lawyers, and harsh judges. This, however, felt different. There was a power that only the people in closest to her had, and, whether or not she liked it, Rosalinde Varna was in possession of some of that in her own right. She was one of the very few people that could, with the right ammunition, render her completely speechless. Not even her old friends or her recent enemies could do it and yet, if they had wanted to, any member of the group or her family could do exactly what Varna had pulled. She numbly felt her husband pull her tightly into her and stroke her thick dark hair in an attempt to reassure her. The only people that had known were herself, Ozpin, Emmett, and Willow. She had been too anxious to tell anyone else, despite knowing she was due in December, and now, it seemed, they all did.

"Yes…" She said weakly, fighting back tears. "But I wasn't ready for…I…"

"That was low," Glynda said, turning to Rose angrily. "Not to mention completely unfair and cruel, and I think you know it."

"It's not unfair if it's true," Rose spat. "She doesn't have to be such a fucking –"

Without even realizing it, she had activated her magic and, because of it, found herself suddenly sparring with Emmeline who had darted in front of her and snatched her wrists. Rose let out an angered hissed and tried to kick her, but she was faster and stronger. Rose knew full well how respected Emmeline's skill was, and she knew that she had been recently promoted to the rank of commander, but, in this moment, she wanted to fight her back. She didn't even care what they were arguing about anymore. She wanted to make her pay for getting in her way of whatever it was she could have possibly been ready to do. Her mind was foggy at best, and she began to focus only on getting her off of her but Emmeline was faster and Rose found herself on the ground, completely winded, and scowling at her opponent who looked far more worried than angry.

"Nice temper," Rose snapped, slowly bushing herself back up off the floor. "I didn't think you had that in you."

Emmeline said nothing, refusing to rise to her bait, but Emmett suddenly looked rather concerned for his wife and almost immediately pulled her away, using himself as a shield of sorts while sending Rose a decidedly nasty look.

Rose snorted. "Really? You're not even going to –"

"Save it Rose," Qrow said, putting his flask away. "I don't know what's really been going with you and in your kingdom, but this isn't the woman I remember. Tell me, when you had those people executed, did you kill the woman you were too?"

It fell onto her, in that moment, that she had plucked a nerve she never should have. Not looking at anyone for several elongated moments, Rose finally forced herself to look at Qrow. He and his teammates were all staring at her in shock, and Tai looked far more annoyed than she had ever seen. Summer looked torn between pity and anger, and Qrow's arms were crossed. Emmeline had not moved an inch from where she had knocked the other woman to the ground, although Emmett was still holding her close. It was in this moment that he was never more relieved by Trey Goodwitch's willingness to take care of Samara and the Ironwood-Goodwitch twins when they had meetings like this. Glynda and James looked pissed, to say the very least, and she could feel the resentment only heighten when she briefly glanced to them. And then there was Cristal, who looked as if she were going to be sick and had hidden her face in her husband's chest while he held her. For the several seconds she managed to meet his gaze, Rose realized that Ozpin's face had gone dark and that none of them held any semblance of sympathy towards her. She had finally gone too far. She glanced down at her ruby-red heels, for a moment, and then calmly walked towards the elevator, adjusting the rose pin in her hair while she did so. Without another word, not even an apology, she stepped into the elevator and let the doors shut almost silently behind her.


	35. Down the Boulevard

**_June 6th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_3:45 PM_**

Willow Schnee looked particularly amused when her brother pulled up in front of the manor on a scooter. It was a national holiday, which was why he had foregone his car and, with that, all sense of responsibility. She knew her niece was with Emmeline, in part because her sister-in-law had called earlier that day and told her to get Emmett out of the house so she could get some work done without them debating what information he, due to his status as a licensed huntsman, could have access to and what information he couldn't. Winter had been thrilled at the chance to spend some of her surprisingly copious, of late, free time with her uncle and baby sister and Willow, if she were being perfectly honest, was glad that Jacques was in Vale for the next few weeks to handle an accident at a refinery.

"That is perfectly irresponsible," She called down to him from the top of the steps. "And how do you fit your hair in that helmet? It's just past your shoulders now, isn't it?"

Emmett smirked and shook his hair out almost as soon as he shut off his scooter.

"Scooters are badass!" He declared, sauntering up the steps and fixing his glasses. "Oh, Winter," He added, turning to his niece who perked up slightly. "Want to take it for a ride?"

"Absolutely –" The thirteen-year-old started.

"Not!" Willow said with finality, looking at her daughter in shock. "You are not going to risk life and limb because your uncle has the maturity of a six-year-old!"

Emmett scowled. "Do I have to remind you that I'm married and have two –"

He paused uncomfortably, then rubbing his neck and glancing awkwardly to his sister.

"Winter," Willow said calmly. "We'll meet you in the gardens soon enough."

Her face fell for a moment, but she quickly walked off. Emmett and Willow stared at each other in silence for a moment and then she embraced him.

"I didn't realize you and Emmeline had been trying to have another kid," She said with a smile. "I thought, since her promotion, that her –"

"It caught us a bit by surprise," Emmett admitted. "We are happy about it, really, it's just…God, it's going to be awkward to tell both Chrissy and Rosella."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Rosella Katt?"

He nodded. "Didn't you wonder why she and Ronnie got –"

"Don't lead me down that path," She said, sending him a sharp look. "I have absolutely no desire to think about what kind of debauchery he could be involved in."

Emmett chuckled. "That's about what Emmy said when we all found out."

Willow smirked while she and her brother stepped through the front doors of the manor.

"Do the two of you know when she's due?" She finally said, lowering her voice as they walked. "Or –"

"January," Emmett replied, turning slightly pink. "Again, caught us by surprise, but –"

"Oh my God," Willow stared at her brother for a moment and then shook her head incredulously. "Emmett, are you telling me that, despite the fact that your daughter doesn't even turn one until this September, the first thing you and Emmeline did when she got back from Argus was –"

"Well, she actually…" Emmett nervously fidgeted with his wedding ring. "Can we leave it at: my wife really missed me and, after the stress of all the shit that went down with deciding what troops were being withdrawn from Argus, etc, following Sassler's declaration of national emergency, wanted me to be…extra affectionate?"

Willow couldn't help but laugh. "Say that to Chrissy," She told him. "I'm sure she'll be thrilled to hear you phrase it that way."

"She has a two-year-old daughter and she's going to have another kid in December," Emmett reminded her. "I think she knows how it works."

"And you're still our little brother," Willow said, twisting her hair in her hands. "Even if you managed to be 5'11"."

Emmett shrugged. "I guess I did get that advantage."

"That you did," She paused, suddenly looking cold. "Emmett, listen, there's something I want you to know that I don't feel safe confiding in anyone else right now."

"What is it?" He said slowly, feeling a bit uneased. "Has something happened to –"

"No," Willow said gently. "No, that's not it. Weiss and Winter are…well, Weiss, at least, is alright for now. It's that…with Jacques' temper being volatile at best, I've…"

She hesitantly gestured to one of the chandeliers and pulled out her scroll which showed them from above. Emmett took in a sharp breath but nodded shortly in understanding.

"Clever," He said, looking to her a bit worriedly. "But why now? What's changed?"

Willow sighed heavily. "He might be calmer with me, and much more…much more like he was before Winter was born but she, as it happens, isn't so lucky."

Emmett swallowed hard. "Is that why she finally started wearing makeup?"

"Yes," Willow admitted, staring at her feet for a moment. "I'm worried for her, I keep telling her to just give in and let things go but she refuses to. If anything, she's more ambitious than ever and that certainly isn't helping."

Emmett loosely embraced his sister who, after a moment, did the same.

"I'm sorry," He finally said, releasing her. "I'm sure that's hard for both of you."

"Jacques thinks I'm the damaged one between us, and he's wrong," Willow said as they began to walk towards the gardens once more through the manor. "He claims every time that I'm exhausted or in pain and have a glass of wine that I've got a drinking problem and that's just not true. Everything he thinks on that is severely out of context, and maybe he'd understand better if he were home more. I just…I don't know."

Emmett glanced to her when they both stepped into the gardens, on the other side of which Winter was sitting with her baby sister in her arms.

"Are you so sure you would want him home more?" He said quietly. "If he beats Winter when she steps out of line?"

Willow flinched and brushed the tears away from her eyes.

"Like I said, I don't know what would be best," She weakly replied. "That's why I put those up…it's not just for me, it's for the safety of both of my children."

Willow fell silent and managed a faint smile when Winter noticed them and waved them towards her and her sister.

"Weiss seems to be in a good mood today," Winter told them, letting her sister tug at her fingers. "As it happens, she doesn't mind being outside."

"Well, don't let her be out too long," Willow said, sitting down on one side of her daughters while Emmett took the other side. "I don't want her to get sick."

Winter nodded. "Of course, mother."

Willow cupped her cheek and pressed an affectionate kiss to her forehead.

"You care about her a lot already, don't you?" Willow murmured. "I can already tell the two of you will be close."

"And will hopefully make this family less of a mess," Emmett added, putting his hands up in surrender when his sister glared. "What? Dad always said that –"

"I know, I know," Willow said, brushing it off. "It's just hard for me to think about dad, that's all."

She let the peace of the moment envelop her and her daughters, but she was not naïve and knew full well that Winter had caught on to exactly what her uncle was implying.

* * *

**_June 16th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:45 PM_**

"Ah ha ha ha ha," Roman Torchwick couldn't help but laugh his ass off when he opened the door to his apartment and found Cinder sitting primly on his couch inside. "So," He said, puffing on his cigar. "What are you doing here?"

"You and I need to discuss something, Roman," She said silkily. "Regarding how we are going to, ever so slowly, continue to dispose of people important in Atlas, starting with the Ciel family and then Elizabeth Morell."

Roman raised an eyebrow. "Why do you give a damn about Elizabeth Morell?"

"Not important," Cinder snapped, gritting her teeth. "Stop trying to distract me."

"Oh, believe me, sweetheart, that isn't what I'm trying to do," He said with a smirk. "Or do you genuinely enjoy staring down a loaded gun?"

Cinder looked at him mutinously. "Don't," She hissed. "Not unless you want me to lose my temper."

He began to laugh again. "Hmmph," He noted. "You really do have the temper of a Schnee."

"My temperament is not the point here!" She all but yelled. "So why don't you go and shove your asinine remarks up your ass or in your hat where they belong?"

"I'd rather not do any damage," He replied. "Although I respect you for being so fond of doing so."

Her eyes narrowed. "Are you trying to get yourself killed?"

He snorted. "You and I both know what I do best in this world."

"Oh?" She said, still increasingly testy. "And what's that?"

Roman irritably stubbed out his cigar and sat down on the edge of his kitchen counter. He had been squatting in an abandoned apartment in Vale for months now, and, using an assumed name and some doctoring to his appearance, had managed to evade the police when they came by on their monthly rounds on the edge of the city. It was certain, he knew, that he would end up behind bars at some point again for a short time, but he didn't care for now. He was waiting to fade into the woodwork, as the woman sitting on his couch had, but he was impatient. He had been robbing from different establishments on a regular basis, and he was doing quite well, yet he wanted to be able to be more notorious. The only things he cared about more than surviving right then and there were a lush life and notoriety. He wanted to be known, and he wanted people to talk about him. It would be a good slap in the face to everyone who had ever crossed him.

"You should know," He said, matching her tone flawlessly. "Lying, stealing, cheating, and surviving. I've always been quite good at those things, if I do say so myself."

She sent him a nasty look. "I hate you. Why did I ever do you that favor?"

"Because I'm charming as fuck," He said with a grin. "On good days at least."

* * *

**_July 7th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:51 PM_**

"At least all the kids are asleep," Emmett said, sauntering back into the living room. "Your kids are asleep, my kids are asleep. That's a good sign."

Karissa sighed. "I just hope that I will get some actual sleep soon, between my kids and work, I don't really have much time these days."

"None of us do," Emmeline reminded her. "Ever since Sassler all but starting a war with certain provinces and, of course, Vert –"

"Vert is small and not that powerful," Emmett put in, crossing his arms. "It shouldn't take us that long to handle the situation there."

Karissa sent him a pointed look. "Vert is wedged between Vale, one of our allies, and Vacuo, where we have difficult foreign relations at best considering both the new prime minister and the discrepancies between the provinces there. If you think it will be easy, then you clearly don't understand the situation."

Emmett considered that. "You do have more access to information than I do. Speaking of which, how have you been liking your new position?"

Karissa fidgeted with her glasses for a moment and Spencer loosely took her other hand.

"It was…sudden, to say the least," She finally said. "And I'm not particularly high up, I just have a good professional relationship with someone who is."

Emmeline smirked. "You're understating Elizabeth's fondness for you."

"Please don't," She said, looking more tired than she ever had been. "We all have enough going on as it is without…"

"I know," Emmeline glanced worriedly to Emmett. "I think we can all agree that, wherever this may lead, it won't be pretty."

"Who's understating now?" Spencer dryly remarked under his breath.

* * *

**_July 29th_**

**_Southern Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_5:38 PM_**

"Ronnie?" Rosella Katt poked her head into the bedroom in their southern Atlas apartment. "There's someone on the line for you. Says they work for Redline Financial?"

He sighed. "What do they want?"

She huffed. "They said it's classified and that –"

"I'll handle it," He said, gently touching her arm and then kissing her cheek. "Just give me a few minutes."

He began speaking rapidly and in a surprisingly low tone while his wife watched him suspiciously. It lasted just three minutes and, as soon as he hung up, Rosella was ready.

"So," She said darkly. "What was that about?"

"He just…" Ronnie hesitated but then shook his head. "He was doing me a personal favor and funneled about ten mil through a shell corporation of his that disperses money amongst certain political interest groups and then into certain...politician's personal accounts, my own included. He's still trying to buy my silence for a matter regarding his involvement in the election of Rosalinde Varna as Vacuo's prime minister."

"I'm not sure I want to know what Varna's into, all things considered," Rosella said, then sending her husband a dubious look. "But what exactly is the difference between what he's doing and money laundering?"

"The fact that this is legal, for one," He replied, tucking one of her stray locks behind her ear. "Don't worry, Ella. I'll handle this just fine. I've got you and Nicollette to consider now, too, don't I?"

She looked to their newborn daughter, who was sleeping soundly in the crib beside their bed with her fluffy pink tail flicking peacefully while she dreamt.

"Did we make the right choice, having her stuck with my surname instead of yours?" Rosella said softly, standing up and stepping across the room so she could sit next to their daughter. "Or…"

"Ella, I don't give a damn that you're a faunus," Ronnie said, tiredly pressing a hand against his head. "I love you, and Nicollette, and I don't judge anyone for being human or faunus. The problem is that other people do, and Nicollette is going to have to face that."

"Neon," She murmured, gently rubbing the little girl's back. "I already told you I'm calling her Neon because of how pretty and bright her tail is."

Ronnie couldn't help but smile. "That's cute, Ella."

She sighed. "You know there's a part of me that wonders if she had your surname if it…wouldn't it be at least some form of protection? You're wealthy, you're a popular senator –"

"And that would make her even more of a target," Ronnie finished, pausing when he realized he might have been a little harsh. "It's going to be alright, Ella, just please trust me on this."

Rosella stared at him for a moment but, giving in, said nothing and let herself curl into his arms, purring lightly while she fell asleep with him stroking her hair.

* * *

**_August 3rd_**

**_City Of Mantle_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Uptown_**

**_7: 56 PM_**

"Caity, honey, please," Glynda said, kneeling in front of her nearly three-year-old daughter and taking her tiny hands in hers. "You have to eat more, or you'll get sick. Please try this for me."

The little girl glanced warily at the small bowl with some mac and cheese in it and shook her head.

"Caity," She gently repeated. "You can't nurse forever, just like you can't eat just baby food for the rest of your life."

She looked down at her hands and fidgeted with her mother's wedding ring for a moment.

"Tell you what," Glynda said, sighing. "I'll let you play with my ring for a few minutes if you try some, okay? It's soft, and you won't have to chew it. It's basically cheesy mush so you'll be okay."

She hesitated but nodded and let her mother put some in her mouth. Then her face lit up happily and she quickly reached for the bowl.

"You like that?" Glynda smiled as the little girl began to, albeit messily, eat. "Good, honey."

She sat down next to her eldest, who was still smiling and humming to herself. After the little girl finished eating and drinking her lemonade, Glynda delicately took off her wedding ring and set it on the table. Caitlin's bright green eyes lit up excitedly and she picked it up, testing the weight in her small hands while her mother began to start the dishwasher. Every so often, she would grin at her mother when she glanced to her and she continued to hum to herself. Glynda couldn't help but smile too, in part because of how pretty her little girl's humming sounded. She, of course, was a child and sounded as such, but her parents were almost certain she had perfect pitch. The little girl and her sister were both so talented, and it had been a relief to both her and James that their girls were okay. Things were difficult, and the world was darker, but they were all lucky and had some sense of hope in the increasingly dangerous world around them.

"Hi, mommy!" Ivy chirped, skipping into the room with James following closely behind her.

Glynda waved to her daughter. "Hi, Ivy. How was gymnastics?"

She giggled. "Fun!"

"Ives is one of the more patient in the group," James told her while Ivy ran over to her sister and hugged her tightly. "For a two-year-old learning to tumble across a mat, anyways."

"Well, thank you for taking her," She said, tiredly probing her forehead. "I don't think I could have handled the noise, not after what happened in my combat class yesterday."

James laughed, pulling off his uniform jacket. "You said something blew up?"

"A seventeen-year-old being reckless with Dust," She replied. "Imagine anything odd Emmett did when we were at Atlas Academy and make it significantly worse."

James chuckled. "I already can."

* * *

**_August 17th_**

**_City Of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:15 PM_**

Ignoring yet another call from various members of the council of Vacuo, Rosalinde Varna stared at herself in the mirror with contempt. Her long hair was in tangles and the rose that she typically had pinned in it was sitting on the counter. Throwing a cursory glance to the fresh cuts on her wrists, she closed her eyes for a long moment before pulling the gauze out under from the counter. Wrapping it reasonably tight around her wrists that were slowly stopping their steady flow of blood, she let herself collapse on to the floor of her bathroom with her arm resting between her forehead and her knees as she tried to calm herself. She wished that she hadn't succumbed back to self injury to solve her problems when her mind got too tumultuous for her to bear but she hadn't been able to stop herself. Everything that she had always hated about herself seemed to be coming crashing down on her and she couldn't help but dwell on what Qrow had said. Although she knew he had said it out of pure contempt, she couldn't help but wonder if it was true.

Tell me, when you had those people executed, did you kill the woman you were too?

Why did he have to be so close though? Why did he have to be so right that she was slowly losing her grip on who she was? It was more than a little bit infuriating, if she was being honest she felt more than just culpable for signing the papers that gave the council her approval to perform the executions post-trial when all of them had been found guilty. The fact that she had approved it made her feel like she had been the one who made the decision on her own without any due process. It made her feel sick and she knew that if she went too far that one of the other four major kingdoms, Atlas being the last of them, would declare war and that would be the end of it. The last thing that anyone needed or wanted was there to be another Great War, and everyone knew that if Atlas was involved that it would not be long before Atlas took control. She knew full well that the mercenaries that had been sent were in the same vein as those that had orchestrated the attacks against Atlas three years prior, and, now, she was the dictator of Vacuo. Or, at least, that was what she really was even if wasn't in the eyes of her people.

Yet, at any rate.

Yet her guilt extended beyond that. She felt horribly guilty for what she had said to Cristal, if only because it wasn't fair or appropriate. She knew she had been cruel and she had known when she said it, in her pure, undefined anger, that it was the one thing that would cause her the most pain as things were. She also knew that she had overreacted and risen to Qrow's baiting when she should have let it go so they could have moved on. That was especially true, considering that, while Rose had never been one to be particularly enthralled by the idea of displaying affection in public, she also could imagine how difficult things could be for Tai and Elizabeth even if they had made a mistake.

"Fuck!" Rose screamed as she got up and threw a punch at the mirror. She had depleted her aura enough already so that she would be able to effectively cut herself and it restored so slowly that she ended up causing herself more harm. Rose's punch to the mirror caused damage to the surface enough to cut up her knuckles. "Fuck!"

"Rose?" To her surprise, Summer Rose was standing in the doorway with her arms crossed and her crop in hand. "Alright, we need to talk."

"What about?" Rose demanded weakly, trying to hide the blood. "Why the fuck are you even in Vacuo?"

"Are you kidding me? That can't be a serious question, Rose, can it?" Summer sighed and pulled herself up on to the counter. "You skipped the meeting three days ago, not to mention the other two before that and you haven't been answering anyone's calls. Honestly, I thought something had happened to you."

"Damn right something happened," Rose muttered as she forced herself to look at her. "Listen, Summer, I know that I never apologized to Tai for what I said about -"

"It's fine, he's over it -" She started tiredly.

"No, it's not," Rose snapped. "I overreacted and made the mistake of trying to control the group like I control my Council -"

"Rose -" Summer tried again.

"That doesn't even include what I said to Cristal -" Rose went on.

"Rose, for God's sake, I'm just relieved that your still alive because we need you! You are an invaluable member of the group, for all of your faults!" Summer pulled her hood down and sent the Prime Minister Of Vacuo a look of concern. "Are you sure that something isn't going on?"

"Qrow's right," Rose mumbled weakly. "It doesn't matter that I approved the council's motions to execute those mercenaries that Rebecca Neale sent here, what matters is that I am the one most culpable for it."

"Rose -" She said, shaking her head.

"No, I had to give my approval or the council wouldn't have been allowed to do that." Rose sighed heavily and tried in vain to untangle her hair with her fingers. "Unless they decided to override me but in a council of three hundred people from eleven different departments and of vastly different political viewpoints…well it just simply wouldn't have happened, not likely anyways. Besides, I'm ultimately the one in control of every damn thing in this kingdom."

"I don't think you're a bad person, Rose, really I don't." Summer tried to be as gentle as possible. "But I do think that you are misguided."

"I ought to resign, honestly. If this," Rose looked to her cuts again with resignation. "If this is what I do to myself then I shouldn't be in charge of other people. Still, I feel like I need to defend the people of Vacuo and I have grown fond of power since -"

"Well then -" Summer started.

Rose groaned. "The other thing is that, and I'm sorry that I haven't relayed this yet, but one of the mercenaries that I gave approval for execution for...during the trial admitted that someone is out to get the entire Ciel family or, at least, the members of the family that are still alive."

"What?" Summer went pale at hearing that. "No -"

"Do I look like I'm happy about saying that?" Rose demanded. "I'm just relaying information because -"

"Don't relay that to me," Summer told her, horror crossing her face. "Tell Emmett and Emmeline so they can warn the rest of the family -"

"I was kind of hoping that you would -" Rose admitted.

"Are you -" She started.

"Well it's not as if -" Rose protested.

Shoving her scroll into Rose's hands, Summer shook her head. "Call them. Right now."

"You deny it, but you can be as much of a bitch as Glynda," Rose muttered as she sent the call. "Shouldn't I be telling you what to do, considering that I'm older than you?"

"Summer?" Emmett said in confusion over the line. "Are -"

"It's me, Emmett." Rose said, and she heard him take in a sharp breath. "Rosalinde -"

"Yeah, I know." Emmett said with slight bitterness. "So, what are you going to say about anyone in my family and -"

"Emmett, I swear that I'm not going to pull anything." Rose sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her still tangled hair. "I promise. I just need to warn you about something."

"What's that?" Emmett asked her, skepticism lacing his voice.

Rose shook slightly, praying that he would believe her. "Someone is after your wife's entire family. Can I talk to her. I think it might be –"

"No," Emmett snapped. "And how do the rest of us know that you aren't playing us –"

"Why I never -" Rose started.

The line clicked off sharply and Rose handed Summer's scroll back to her with a dark look. "It's getting a lot scarier out there, isn't it?"

Summer bit her lip. "Honestly," She said, putting her scroll back in her skirt pocket. "I think things are getting worse."


	36. Hide and Seek With All The Means

_**August 13th**_

_**City Of Vale**_

_**9:14 AM**_

"Mmm...Oz?" Cristal murmured as he brushed his fingers over her forehead while she slowly awoke. "I just need a few more minutes…"

"That's what you always tell me," Ozpin reminded her, helping her sit up before leaning her into his arms. "And every time you end up over sleeping."

"I have a good reason this time," Cristal told him sleepily though she knew that she had no real excuse. "Oh alright...fine...I stay up too late working but last night it was your fault too! You didn't have to -"

"Chrissy…" Ozpin said gently, running a finger over her cheek. "You know how special you are, right?"

Cristal groaned though she looked up at him lovingly. "Stop it...you distract me too much sometimes and then I turn into...what was it my brother said...a total nightmare?"

Ozpin laughed and kissed her softly. "Cristal, you aren't ever that horrible. Really. You can be a little much for people to handle, but you aren't a bitch."

"Am I too much for you to handle?" Cristal asked, smirking as she pulled him down into another kiss. "I love you...but am I too much?"

"Of course not," Ozpin assured her. "You're never too difficult for me to handle…the Valerian Council on the other hand..."

Cristal sighed. "I know some of them are...reconsidering having made you headmaster of Beacon...but, for the most part, you've carried the mantle well."

"The council would disagree with you on that assessment," Ozpin told her darkly, and she shook her head as she reached for her glasses. "Some of the members have been looking for a case for my removal since I was instated."

Pulling herself out of their bed before wrapping her arms around his neck as best she could, Cristal sighed. "Oz, you're not going to get removed. And, even if you do, you have a wife and child...with a second one on the way."

Ozpin smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "I know."

Cristal sighed heavily before curling into him. "I just don't know where...where any of this is going to cause us to end up. What if something happens to Carleigh, or Oliver? Oz, maybe I'm just stressed, or overtired, or overworked, or even just six months pregnant and paranoid about my baby, but what if Qrow...what if what Rose says is true? That I only harm everything I touch? That I'm a miserable, a -"

"No," Ozpin said, worriedly rubbing her back. "You have your faults, Chrissy, but everyone, including myself, does. More to the point -"

"A part of me can see her point, though!" Cristal exclaimed, tears forming in her eyes against her will. "If not because -"

"Chrissy, stop it," Ozpin murmured. "Please don't do this."

Cristal was silent for a moment before she sniffed and let herself stop to cry. "I should know better, but I don't. It...not understanding and assuming I'm always the one at fault…with..."

Ozpin gently wiped the tears away from her eyes. "Chrissy, I just want you to be able to move on because I think that you'd be happier. Your parents aren't going to hurt you anymore, they can't."

Cristal shifted to look at him. "Oz, what's going to happen to us? You don't think that she'll…"

"Cristal..." Ozpin murmured, trying to comfort her. "Nothing's going to happen to us and I'm sure as hell not going to let this fight stand between us or our family."

Wrapping her arms around his neck, Cristal nodded weakly before her eyes went wide in fear. "What if she has you killed? What if she kills you? Or if my...my sister does?"

Kissing her gently, Ozpin cupped her face in his hands. "None of them are going to hurt us, I promise."

Cristal bit back tears. " I can't bear the thought of losing you…"

"I don't want to lose you either," Ozpin told her. "I will do everything in my power to be perfectly alright, even if I have to fight Cinder Fall, or Ashlynn Schnee, or whatever she wants to be called. I promise. You and our family come first. They always will."

"Okay…" Cristal murmured. "I love you…"

Ozpin held her close, hoping anything he could do would comfort her. "I love you too."

* * *

**_August 20th_**

**_Atlesian General Hospital_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:14 AM_**

The younger of the two doctors in the room looked grimly at Spencer and Karissa as they entered her tiny office with their three kids. Percival was the only one asleep in his mother's arms, while Matt and Natalie were both bubbling in the stroller. Spencer pushed it just next to him before he and Karissa sat down and the nurse shut the door behind her on the way out of the room. The pediatrician was flipping through the information he had taken on his clipboard for all three of the kids while the younger blonde doctor who had been both Spencer and Karissa's general practitioner for the last several years pushed a new prescription bottle towards him. He hesitated in taking it, seeing the wary look his wife gave it and remembering the raucous argument she had with their doctor about it just an hour earlier. He hated the way the woman had spoken to his wife - insisting she was worried about nothing, that there was no addiction, and that it wasn't just a painkiller (although Spencer doubted, alongside Karissa, that it had helped much with the trauma he still carried from being shot) - but they had both backed down. After all, she was a professional of fifteen years.

"I took a look at your children's growth stats, etc, myself after Dr. Scott took them today," She finally said, setting down her pen with a frown. "I'm not a pediatrician, but I do concur with him that there is reason for concern about the health of your younger twin...Percival Spencer Ciel, yes?"

Karissa nodded shortly and Spencer placed a hand comfortingly on her shoulder while she drew their sleeping son closer to her.

"He hasn't grown as much as he should have by his age," Dr. Scott began, setting down the clipboard on the page he had soley for little Percival. "Matthew is exactly where he should be - a little above, even - for being just three months shy of a year old, but Percival has fallen behind. You mentioned, too, that he has had recurrent nosebleeds, slow healing, and has shown fatigue and weakness at things his brother has far more endurance for such as crawling and walking. From the last check-up, he's also lost a pound which, for his age, is quite a bit."

Spencer tensed, squeezing his wife's shoulder.

"But is he alright?" Karissa pressed. "Dr. Scott, I don't think I should have to impress upon you how worried we are."

He sighed. "I hate saying this to such a young family, but I want to run tests to see if he has acute leukemia or similar."

"What?" Spencer stood up suddenly and swayed on the spot. "You think my not even year old son has leukemia?"

"I said I think he could," Dr. Scott said, looking rather dejected. "It has been known to happen, however uncommonly, and it is in your family history. Your wife's too, if I'm not mistaken."

Karissa said nothing and willed herself not to cry while memories of her grandmother flooded back.

"No!" Spencer exclaimed. "Percy can't, he just -"

"Mister Ciel, please, sit down," Dr. Scott said. "He may not have it. It's also possible your son has a severe allergy to something we don't know about, or that he has a digestive defect that is harming his immune system. I am only doing my job and playing it on the safe side."

"He's just a little boy," Karissa said softly, brushing her hand lightly over her sleeping son's forehead. "He…"

"I know," Dr. Scott said gently. "I'm sorry I have to even suggest it but I need your authorization to perform the tests."

He set down the paperwork in front of them and Spencer shakily sat down, burying his face in his hands and starting to cry. Karissa rubbed his back for a moment but then did in fact sign the authorization.

"I have one stipulation," She said as she handed the clipboard back to Dr. Scott. "We do this today, and I am with my son while you take the blood sample."

"Of course," Dr. Scott said, motioning for her to follow him which she hesitantly did. "It's the least I can do."

The door closed quietly behind them and, after a minute, Spencer looked over to his other two children, neither of whom knew what was going on and were still happy for the time being.

"If you need more Oxy early, tell me," Dr. Richards told him, starting to pace. "I'm more than happy to keep your prescription current...it seems the PTSD has been hitting you harder than expected and then this...I'm so sorry."

Her words rung in his ears for the rest of the day but, what she would never know, was how he had broke down in his wife's arms later that night, terrified for their youngest child and horrified by what the Oxy and the heroin he had taken in the times he had no pills were doing to them.

* * *

**_September 1st_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_6:31 PM_**

"You are so improper it's not even funny," Rose told him, pulling her sleeves down to cover most of her fingers. "Did your mother drop you on your ass a time too many as a child or are you just so drunk that it's a miracle you're able to function at all?"

"That was unnecessary, Rose," Cristal disdainfully told her. "I thought that you had said that you're working on holding your tongue like the rest of us have to?"

"I hold my tongue if it suits me," Rose informed her snottily with her ringed fingers beating against the Ozpin's desk in a harsh rhythm. "Okay, and if I feel like speaking my mind then I will. So please fuck off about it."

"Rose," Ozpin shook his head while he rested his head in his hands. "Please try to be less of a -"

"Less of a what?" Rose demanded. "Less of an excellent leader? Less of a -"

"At least she's not Elizabeth Morell," Qrow said bitterly, "Did you know that Elizabeth Morell is involved with Tai?"

Emmeline looked shocked. "Wait, Elizabeth's is in a relationship with Tai?"

"That's what I just said," Qrow told her with his arms folded lightly across his chest. "And yeah, she's been around the house and the island so much recently - for the last year, even - that I'm shocked Tai hasn't asked her to marry him." Shuddering at the thought, Qrow added. "Gods, that would be horrible."

Emmett shook his head. "Qrow, you're joking. The last person that Elizabeth Morell would want to be with is Tai. She'll, if she has her wits about her, go after wealth, political power, and fame which, frankly, Tai doesn't exactly exemplify."

"Did you just call us poor?" Qrow demanded and Emmett sighed. "Well did you?"

"That's not how I meant it," Emmett insisted. "Really, that's -"

"I'm pretty sure that exactly how you meant that," Qrow told him while Emmeline glared. "Seriously, you've got yourself, your beautiful wife, you're a father…" Shaking his head and fighting back tears as he thought of Summer and the secret they were keeping, Qrow sighed. "It's a hell of a lot more complicated for me..."

Emmett narrowed his eyes at the younger man. "Qrow, honestly, I know you help raise your niece but you aren't her father."

Shaking slightly as he moved towards Emmett in anger, Qrow found himself thinking about Summer and their unborn child just before Emmett let himself go from around his wife. Though he was shorter, Emmett stood in front of Qrow and met his gaze without even reaching for his sword. Almost as soon as Emmett stopped moving, Qrow felt his fists clench and, looking into the younger man's pale blue eyes, an angry punch hit Emmett in the centre of his face. His glasses flew off his face and onto the ground, shattering on impact. Through his blurred vision, Emmett saw the tears at the corners of Qrow's eyes and he reached down to try and take his broken glasses in hand though he had forgotten how much his vision had faded in the last few years. Qrow glared as he regained his composure and ignored the look he knew he had to be getting from Ozpin. Watching Emmeline place a hand on Emmett's shoulder, Qrow felt a surge of jealousy that spurred him on again.

"You don't know anything about my life, Schnee." Qrow promised him. "And I hope it stays that way. You're a selfish son of a bitch, aren't you?"

"I...I...I -" Emmett stopped as he realized that was partially true. "Qrow, you may know what the rest of you make my life out to be but, even if your sister is a cynical bitch, at least your sister isn't a killer. That's what Ashlynn is now that she's Cinder Fall. A psychopathic killer."

"How do you my sister isn't a killer?" Qrow demanded. "What do you even know about the Branwen tribe?"

"That it rules part of Mistral, practically -" Emmett snapped.

Qrow scoffed though he knew it was true. "You have all the money in the world, you have a perfect family -"

"Things aren't perfect for us in the slightest," Emmeline hissed. "Or did you not know that?"

"Oh, I know," Qrow said, putting his hands up. "But that doesn't mean your lives aren't a damn sight better than mine. You two have the world's greatest luck and the same can be said for Glynda and James."

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Glynda said, swinging her crop. "Have you lost your damn mind?"

"Maybe," Qrow shrugged and pulled out his flask. "Maybe."

"Put the drink away," Glynda told him with a glare.

Qrow laughed. "Why should I?"

"You don't need to be any more drunk than you already are." She snapped.

"I have my reasons," Qrow said darkly. "Believe me, I have reasons for all of this even if I don't share them with the rest of you."

Cristal snorted. "Then how can you expect us to trust you?"

Qrow crossed his arms and turned to her angrily. "I don't trust you, Cristal. I don't give a damn that you're Ozpin's wife, I don't give a damn that you're a young, hot-shot Atlesian prosecutor, and I don't give a damn that you're a mother. You're just as - if not more - selfish than your brother and the rest of your fucking family, so why don't you -"

"Qrow!" Ozpin sent him a dark look. "If you think this is productive -"

"I trust you, Oz," He reminded him, then jabbing a finger towards Cristal. "But it's going to take a hell of a lot more than you loving Cristal to make me trust her too."

* * *

**_September 10th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:47 PM_**

Looking at his daughter who was curled up on the couch, wrapped snugly in a blanket, and sleeping peacefully, Emmett sighed and set his thin blue glasses aside. Burying his face in his hands, he didn't fight with the tears that were steadily streaming down his face. Though he had been reading reports of various happenings in the kingdom of Atlas, per necessity as he was still a huntsman as well as huntsman, he had found himself struggling to concentrate in his tired, foggy state of mind which was why he had let himself fall asleep for several hours before Sam woke him up after her own nap and began tugging at his long, white waves.

He had let her sleep in his and Emmeline's room because his wife was still at work, and he awoke to his little girl bouncing wildly and nearly scaring him half to death when he saw her crawling on the floor near him. She was almost a year, and adventurous because of it. He couldn't believe he had fallen asleep on the small couch, and he was terrified when he realized she had managed to climb onto and off of the couch, albeit with a lot of effort from her tiny legs. He had woken up groggily at first, though, while her little hands continued to pull on his hair until his eyes opened and he quickly swooped his baby girl up.

Once she was securely in his arms, though, he had probed his forehead; there was a lingering headache drumming against his skull. That had been hours and hours before. He had lost track of time, and Sam was peacefully asleep still on the low hanging couch with pillows all around it on the floor. He had been trying to do work, but there was no focus, not right now. There was the group to think about, there was his baby girl, and his pregnant wife. There was work, and bills, and a lingering fear of what could happen to all of them. It was all too much, and it made it impossible for him to get anything done. So, as soon as he stopped crying, he had started drinking. About an hour later, half a bottle of wine was gone.

"Emmett?"

He glanced up, bleary eyed, upon feeling his wife's warm, soft hand touch his shoulder.

"When'd you get home?" He mumbled.

"Not too long ago," She replied, helping him up. "I had to see the doctor for my check-up after work, remember?"

Panic seized him for a moment and he stumbled into their bed. Emmeline was still for just a second before she was by his side. She noticed the wine on his desk and sighed, half-laying down in sheer exhaustion. After a moment, he shakily managed to lay down beside her and his head all but fell against her chest.

"The baby…" He choked out, weakly folding into her. "Is…"

"Shh…" Emmeline said, brushing her fingers through his hair. "The baby's fine, Emmett, see?"

She took one of his hands and rested it over her curve. Even if he didn't have the place of mind to realize it, she knew he was beyond simply drunk. A few minutes passed in silence, but Emmett's face lit up for a moment when he felt the baby kick.

"Don't hurt your mother…." He whispered, pressing a gentle kiss to his wife's curve. "Okay, baby? Don't hurt her, please..."

"She's not hurting me…" Emmeline murmured.

"She?" Emmett repeated.

"Yes," Emmeline said gently. "We've talked about this before, Emmett. Remember?"

"Sam's going to…" Emmett awkwardly forced himself up and stumbled over towards the couch and sat down next to their sleeping daughter. "She's going to love her baby sister."

"I know she will," Emmeline said tiredly, coming over to them and bringing Sam into her arms. "Emmett, are you okay?"

"I..." Emmett looked at her blurry figure for a moment, wiping the tears away and reaching for his glasses. He trailed off for a moment, shoving them onto his face and waiting for the room to come back into focus. "I...Emmy, this isn't...none of...it's not fair to you...or...the...girls...for me...for me to be like this…"

"I'm just worried about you," Emmeline said, then shaking her head. "Why isn't that fair? What's wrong with you worrying so much about us and being emotional -"

"Because it makes me a terrible father!" Emmett shouted though he regretted it once he saw her flinch and their daughter wake up and immediately start to cry. Softening his tone and lowering his voice while Emmeline tried to soothe her, Emmett looked at them both with tears in his eyes again. "Case in point…"

"Sammie, it's okay, shh…" Emmeline began to pace, rubbing the little girl's back until she stopped crying and started to fall asleep again. "Shh…"

"Emmy, I -" Emmett started, tripping as he tried to stand up.

"Emmett, you're really drunk," She said softly, loosely guiding him back to their bed with Sam tightly in her arms. "You aren't thinking clearly, you're not -"

"I haven't had that much," He mumbled again, coughing for a moment. "Just half a bottle, I think."

Emmeline sighed. "I'll be right back, I just need to get Sam down."

Emmett hazily watched her step out of the room, still soothing their daughter. His thoughts were a jumbled mess, and he felt nauseated at best. Briefly, he knew she was right that he had too much to drink and he feared for a second that he might have a problem but he quickly pushed that aside. His mind was a racing current at the moment and it didn't seem he could hold much focus for long. He wasn't sure what time it was, or even the date. All he knew in that moment was he had upset his wife and daughter, and that he was going to have two little girls in late January. It could have been an hour to him, but, in truth, ten minutes later Emmeline came back and delicately shut the squeaky door to their room. He barely noticed her quickly slipping into her pyjamas from her military uniform, and he felt numb until she laid down beside him and let him rest his head on her chest once more.

"We'll talk about this tomorrow," She said quietly, kissing his forehead affectionately. "But please don't do this, Emmett. What's…"

"I'm an awful parent…" He groggily said, setting his glasses haphazardly aside. She reached over and grabbed them, setting them on the nightstand. "Probably an awful husband too…"

"No, you're not," Emmeline calmly replied. "You're drunk and not thinking straight."

Emmett fell silent for a long time but he shifted upon feeling the baby kick again under his hand.

"I thought we talked about this…" He murmured, gently rubbing his wife's curve. "No hurting Emmy. She's your mother, and she's...she's great…"

Emmeline bit back the slight urge to cry and instead stroked his hair.

"She loves you…" Emmett went on. "I do too. You're my baby too. You were a surprise, but a happy one. Okay, baby?"

He mumbled on for a little while but he eventually fell asleep beside her with a hand resting protectively over her curve. His wedding ring glistened slightly in the low light when she moved his hand so she could shift onto her side and sleep herself. It took some time but, by morning, she was rested enough but never more grateful - for both of their sakes - that it was a national day of remembrance and, because of the impact it had directly on their family just a few years prior, neither of them had to go to work.


	37. What Comes Next, Now That We're Free?

**_October 3rd_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:37 PM_**

Emmett sent his thirteen-year-old niece a sharp look and she hung her head in shame, picking at her fingernails in the passenger seat beside him. There had been an unspoken tension between them since he had picked her just twenty minutes before, and he hadn't seemed in any particular rush to get her home. So far as she could tell, all he had done was inform her mother what had happened and left it at that. Not a word had been spoken since he had hung up the call with Willow, and Winter felt sickened by everything around her. She hated herself, she hated her surroundings, and she hated the damn car. The only person she wasn't angry with, at that moment, was Emmett and, from what she could tell, the sentiment was not shared. It was unusual for him to be silent with her, and she knew he was waiting for what he decided was the right time to say something. Her cousin, little year-old Samara, was sleeping calmly in her car seat behind her. She reminded the young girl of Weiss, and the thought of her sister, in this moment, only served to upset her more as she continued to fight back tears.

"Alright, Winter," Emmett finally said, his voice surprisingly calm. "What the hell were you thinking?"

She bit her lip. "I couldn't take being at home any longer! I couldn't…I couldn't handle everything being so…so fucking perfect all the time when it never has been! Do you –"

"I know what you mean," He said shortly. "But that isn't what I meant. I meant: what the hell made you think that committing grand theft auto was a good idea?"

Winter swallowed hard. "I just needed a moment to myself, to think. And it wasn't grand theft auto. It was my father's car."

Emmett sent her a pointed look. "Which is the only reason you're not going to end up with a criminal record, Winter. Honestly, what you did was stupid at best."

She fell silent again but glanced back to him after a moment.

"Thank you for bailing me out," She mumbled. "I don't think I could have handled those…those delinquents."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "I doubt most of them have ever stolen a car. For God's sake, Winter, you are thirteen. You've got at least two years before you can be permitted, let alone get a license."

"I know that," She snapped. "I made a mistake, alright? I'm just glad you helped me out of it."

Emmett stared at her for the few seconds they were stopped and then shook his head ruefully.

"I never could have imagined you doing something like this," He finally said. "I'm disappointed in you, Winter, I really am. If you were struggling, then why didn't you talk to your mother? Hell, even your father or Klein for that matter?"

"You act as if I would have known what to say," She said weakly, rubbing her arm. "I still don't know how I feel."

Emmett sighed. "Winter, I get that things are hard for you, okay, I really do, and I know being thirteen isn't making it easier but you can't...you have to learn to live with it, not run away from what's bothering you and do something stupid like stealing a car."

His words reverberated in her head for a minute, and, to her, they seemed to be getting louder and louder. She knew she had made a mistake, and she was embarrassed and angry with herself and the world. What had broken her was hearing her parents start to argue and, while she had grown accustomed to it over the years, it scared her. The few friends she had all insisted that her parents were going to get divorced, and, even if she and her father were often at odds, even though he had hit her more than once in anger, she hated the thought. She hated change. Right now, she knew what to predict and she could control her life to an extent. If anything else changed, she would lose that. She was worried for herself, for her mother, and her little sister but, most of all, she was scared for what she might become. Was she simply trapped in a terrible environment, or was she really destined for a life of crime, not a life as a huntress?

"I'm not going to make you tell me what provoked you, not beyond what you're willing to say," Emmett added, and she was pulled from her thoughts. "You've been through enough, and I'm sure you're going to be in enough trouble when you get home."

Winter bit her lip. "Why don't you just take me there and get it over with?"

Emmett glanced to her in confusion. "Are you out of your mind?"

She blinked. "What?"

"I can come up with a bullshit excuse for why it took me so long to get you home, and some of it will even be true, and it doesn't matter how angry your parents get with me," Emmett told her, pausing for a moment to adjust his glasses. "I'm trying to - mainly because of your father - protect you by giving them time to be pissed as all hell so it's less when it gets to you."

Winter swallowed hard. "Thanks…"

Emmett reached over and patted her shoulder comfortingly for a moment.

"Look, Winter, I'm about to be completely honest with you," He said, sighing heavily. "My father was better, in many, many ways, than the mother I never knew but her death completely destroyed him. He eventually got to the point, especially after the mesothelioma set in, where he was set off by basically everything."

"Oh," Winter said, staring at her hands again in dejection. "I had no…"

"It's okay, I can't blame your mother for not telling you," Emmett shook his head. "It wasn't a pretty scene in our home. He beat Willow and Cristal on multiple occasions and, to be honest, I am grateful to your father for getting Willow out of that situation before it got too rough for her. I was the only one that came out mostly unscated, but he verbally and emotionally abused me too towards the end. Cristal got the worst of it, I think, but that doesn't mean I don't understand."

"Emmett, I'm sorry -" Winter started, beginning to cry despite herself.

"Winter," Emmett said gently, handing her a tissue from the cupholder. "Do you want me to finish or no? If it's too much -"

"How does this relate to me?" She choked out. "Do you…"

Emmett sighed heavily again. "As much as I think Jacques could end up with a temper as short as my father's, he isn't there yet and, honestly, he's improved a lot since Willow found out she was pregnant with Weiss," Emmett paused for a moment but then went on. "You've done a stupid thing here, and I know they'll be pissed, but I also think they'll have some understanding. They just need to have some time so they can be rational."

Winter brushed the tears away from her eyes and fought back the ones that still wanted to fall.

"You have so many talents and strengths, Winter, and I honestly think you could be a great huntress if that's really what you want to become," Emmett said gently. "Just promise me you won't throw away your shot."

Winter nodded weakly. "I won't."

"Good," Emmett said, forcing a small smile. "Now, for the sake of all of us, don't ever do something like this again. I'm still in my twenties, I don't need a heart attack."

Sensing his joke, Winter laughed a little and thought, for just a second, that things would be alright.

* * *

**_November 3rd_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council_**

**_Department Of Justice_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Maximum_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:59 PM_**

"Senator Ciel," Blake Adel, the director of the department of justice said with no shortness of venom. "How good of you to join us."

Ronnie didn't even have to look at him to know he was in hot water. It was clear from the way the man spoke so deliberately. He could see, from the corner of his eye, the sharp look Elizabeth Morell was giving him as well, and there were a few other ranking DOJ officials in the room as well. The first few things that started swirling in his head were swears, and he cursed himself for being such an idiot. He could get himself out of whatever he was in, he was certain, but that didn't mean it wouldn't be messy or that it wouldn't hurt his wife. Rosella was worried enough, now that she knew everything, and it wasn't just because of his recklessness. It was because she had fallen in love with him, as he had her, and their daughter was now her first concern.

This could fuck over everything that had changed in his life for the better and he knew it better than anyone else. The people in the room could never understand.

He briefly made eye contact with Elizabeth, and fear suddenly surged through him like ice-cold water. She was a woman of black and white principle, he knew, and she always had been. There were no hard feelings between them, not now, but there was no sympathy either. She had been given a second chance after what happened, and she was viewed more favorably since then and it seemed her reputation was on the rise. She would not tolerate anything that came in the way of that. Elizabeth had always been ambitious - not ruthless - but she also saw the world harshly and he had a feeling what she had been through only solidified that. He could not, and would not, let this become too messy but he worried about what they might be about to ask him. Did they know about the bribes he had made to control some legislation, or did they know about some of his questionable finances?

"An unusual allegation has been made against you, Senator Ciel," Blake Adel finally said, and Ronnie looked up to meet his harrowing gaze. "A member of the senate intelligence committee claims that you may have been bribing the former prime minister of Vacuo, and, while there is no evidence to support his claim, it is concerning enough to warrant sworn discussion of the matter."

Ronnie said nothing and looked perfectly confused by what was being said even though all he wanted to do was swear.

"I have no connections in Vacuo," He smoothly replied. "Especially now, considering how contrary their interests are to our own."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "Explain."

"If you are referring to my travel to Vacuo over the last few years, that has been entirely for vacation," Ronnie said, and her eyes narrowed but he did not flinch. "Not that I would risk such now, all things considered."

Blake glanced to his colleagues but then shook his head. "Thank you, Senator Ciel, but know that we will be investigating this matter thoroughly. Is there anything else you wish to add?"

"No," He said calmly. "All I have said is true and complete."

He was suddenly more proud of himself than ever for being able to leave a false trail, though he did not let it show, and he could not believe, by the time he got home, how easy it had been to handle the situation without any consequences.

* * *

**_November 13th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:23 PM_**

"Glynda…" James said, wrapping his arms around her waist and catching her by surprise before gently kissing her. "I missed you while I was in Vacuo."

Glynda laughed and leaned into him, resting her forehead against his. "I missed you too."

"I'm going to be able to be home for the next few months," James told her, an arm still wrapped around her waist as they walked upstairs to their room. "Primarily because of the council but also because things are hazy at best right now. Either way, I'm going to be here with you and the girls."

"Good. I assume you heard about what happened? There was that scare the other week when there was that council member who had turned out to be working for Cinder and tried to shoot Rose." Glynda sighed as she closed their door behind them and locked it. "Obviously, she was fine but the fact that Cinder apparently has spies is concerning."

"What I want to know," James said as they sat down on their bed. "Is how Cinder is still manipulating people from nowhere. She's been untraceable for months and yet she's still getting things done. No wonder Sassler has been aggravated with the situation and unable to think of a response."

Glynda snorted. "Beyond consolidating power, that is."

James sighed. "She's been considering acting on more of it but she hasn't made any formal declarations that would provoke more war or more suggestions that she resign. I won't be terribly surprised if she eventually does though, to be honest, given how many people have been calling for her resignation since she declared martial law last month."

"I still find that concerning," Glynda remarked dryly, not particularly comforted by knowing that, too, the Atlesian council was often more divided than it was not. "Didn't Emmeline say something about how the majority of the people in the DFAMA, the DLNLE, and the DOJ have been opposed to it?"

James nodded. "Yes and I have to agree with them, considering that Sassler has been more and more aggressive as time has gone on. Of course, if she does resign…"

"I don't really see much of an argument the other way," Glynda said, remembering the incredibly awkward interview that Sassler had the other day about dealing with Cinder's associates that were still out there. "Unless of course she comes up with a brilliant plan that solves all of the problems that exist within the kingdom of Atlas and rescinds her declaration of martial law, which won't happen because the former of which would require the Schnee Dust Company getting even harsher limits placed on it in regards to trade and business practices."

"The majority of people on the council agree that the SDC, and mainly Jacques, needs to be limited further," James admitted, annoyed that Jacques had once again tried to convince the world that he wanted the sanctions lifted for the good of the entire kingdom. "And it would do Jacques some good if he learned how to practice his deception better because he's almost completely transparent. It seems like he's got a few people's careers in his pocket."

"Because that's not alarming at all," Glynda commented bitterly. "I never liked the man."

"You sound like Emmett. I'm not denying that Jacques is a complete dick, but he knows how to survive better than most in business." James sighed. "Something tells me that he's going to continue to get his way."

"So long as he's got lien, that is," Glynda pointed out, falling backwards and groaning in exasperation. "Why is everything in this world so complicated?"

"I don't know, Glyns," James said, brushing his fingers over her forehead. "I don't know."

"And it's true that things are getting worse out there, even if I think Sassler is going too far," Glynda shifted onto her side to look at him . "I just…I don't know if I want to know what it's doing to us. I feel like I've been more and more on edge lately and it scares me."

"You have every reason to be scared," James assured her. "You're not crazy, I see it too."

"Are you worried about something happening to us? Or to the girls?" Glynda asked him quietly and he shook his head.

"No," James told her, pulling her into him tightly. "And I'm right here and I'm not leaving. It's all going to be alright, at least for us. And Glynda," James said, tilting her head slightly and kissing her. "I love you."

Leaning into him, Glynda smiled softly. "I love you too."

Closing her eyes as she fell asleep, Glynda felt James gently unclasping her cape and loosening her blouse while she drifted off. The sensations that she felt were gentle and her thoughts slowly blurred together, her pain, her anger, her discontent, and even the emotions she kept under the wraps blended together in a haze that took over her mind as she fell deeper and deeper into sleep. The last thing that she remembered before falling asleep was James's hands carefully undoing her bun before cupping her face in his hands, kissing her forehead, and gently removing her glasses from her face. No dreams, nightmares, or pleasant fantasies came over her that night. It all simply came in went as a darkened haze from which she woke late in the afternoon the next day, relieved that she no longer felt the semi long term effects of sleep deprivation. James was pacing across their room and talking to someone on his scroll, voice low, and the girls were playing on the floor near him. Pushing herself up and reaching over to take her glasses into her hands and then clear her vision, Glynda sighed heavily and ran her fingers through her tangled platinum blonde waves.

_Ugh, I can't believe I slept as late as I did...I suppose that says a lot about my current sleep cycle._


	38. Don't Worry, Love

**_November 28th_**

**_Patch_**

**_6:51 PM_**

"What are you talking about?" Tai asked, coming into the room with his arm wrapped around a woman that looked distinctly Atlesian and had black hair that she had up in a high ponytail. She had faint freckles, pale skin, and her nails were painted a deep crimson. She was wearing a rose pink blouse with a dark grey blazer and dress pants that she paired with gold coloured heels. "Oh, right, Summer. I forgot you and Qrow usually manage to be out of the house when she's here."

Summer elbowed Qrow sharply before he said anything and smiled when Yang tottled into the room.

"Hey, Yang," Tai said, releasing Elizabeth and kneeling down to his daughter's height. "You remember Elizabeth, don't you?"

Yang nodded, looked up, smiled and waved at Elizabeth who smiled warmly back. In contrast, Summer glanced to the woman she still barely knew even after Tai had been dating her for so long but Qrow was suddenly angry. With a pointed look to Yang and the promise of a cookie if she went up to her room, Qrow let out a groan of irritation as he leaned against the counter once the little girl was gone. With his arm still wrapped around her once more, Tai drew Elizabeth closer and kissed her gently. Temporarily both of them forgot that Qrow and Summer were watching. It wasn't until he roughly set down his flask on the counter and grunted that the two of them turned to look at them. Noticing Tai squeeze her ass, Qrow narrowed his eyes before he crossed his arms and pushed his bangs back.

"I don't have anything against you...for the most part…" Qrow began which caused Elizabeth to tense and Summer to send him a look that suggested he play nice, for once. "But I still think you're trying to take advantage of Tai."

Elizabeth snorted. "Nothing against you or anything Qrow but, honestly, if I wanted to extort someone, I would do so for fame or fortune which I don't think either of you have. Except for maybe your minor infamy in the kingdom of Atlas for your...bar hopping and one night stands…"

"Lizzie," Tai said, squeezing her hand. "I know you aren't trying to take advantage of me. It would be pretty obvious by now, especially since I know we were both hesitant about starting our relationship because -"

"I know," Elizabeth murmured weakly. "I swear I actually love you Tai...even if our relationship started in a…"

"In a bar because both of us were lonely," Tai responded with a smirk. "But I found out you aren't just some snobby politician from Atlas and you -"

"Found out that you aren't just some country hick from Vale with a little kid," Elizabeth shook his hair with her fingers before kissing his cheek. "Although I'll admit that I was embarrassed a few weeks ago when you and I woke up in my apartment -"

"In bed," Tai reminded her, kissing her forehead. "And your head was resting on my chest -"

"I was also in my bra and panties -" Elizabeth muttered.

"So what?" Tai said, shrugging. "I was in my boxers -"

"I was so embarrassed that I had sex with you -" She said quickly, a blush rising in her pale cheeks.

"But then I convinced you not to be -" Tai said, his thumb affectionately caressing her cheek.

"Umm, please stop," Summer put in. "I don't want to think about your sex life."

Elizabeth turned bright red and kicked Tai in the shin. He only laughed apologetically.

"Sorry, sorry," He said. "I get carried away."

"Yeah you do," Summer remarked dryly. "And you don't have the excuse Qrow does of being drunk."

"Hey!" Qrow protested. "That any way to talk to the father of your child?"

Summer giggled. "Sorry, Qrow, sorry."

"You're pregnant?" Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "That's a surprise."

"Well...umm...," Summer said awkwardly. "Okay, yes, I am."

"And our kid is going to be fine," Qrow added, scowling at Elizabeth. "Better than any kid you and Tai might ever have, too."

Elizabeth was about to retort but Tai was faster.

"Shove it, Qrow," He told him irritably. "And didn't you promise Yang that cookie?"

He grudgingly relented but even he couldn't deny that spending time with his little niece made him feel better.

* * *

**_December 9th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:01 AM_**

It was midnight and, although she tired, she couldn't bring herself to get into bed and fall asleep. The council meetings had gone just as well as expected, meaning terribly, but her military duties had been much better than she had thought they would be. For once, the team of specialists that she had the most trouble with hadn't fucked up. They were relatively new, and they were wild because of it. They were also local, but sometimes it almost seemed like they didn't have any of their shit together and could barely follow orders half the time. That thing with the train in Forever Fall was just one of the many things they had screwed up. They were supposed to be following some members of the White Fang's splinter faction but, somehow and for some reasons they wouldn't explain, they ended up blowing up a train that was transporting lightning Dust of all things. It was complete bullshit. As quietly as she could, she tried to not wake up Emmett while she showered and changed into her pyjamas.

Her thoughts slowly diverted away from work and to a limb that was just as, if not more, nerve wracking. She was inching closer and closer to her due date, and, while she wasn't about to deny that she was happy about it but at the same time her fears were omnipresent. Opting to pace rather and try to work out her thoughts, she tried very hard not to wake her husband or daughter up. Her steps were unusually light, and she was keeping all of her thoughts inside of her mind rather than trying to work through them out loud. She wasn't sure why she was so nervous. Most of the time, especially at work, she admitted that she could be accused of over confidence. Right now, she had none. Without even realizing it, her steps got heavier and did not stop until she heard Emmett roll over and pull himself up.

"You alright, Emmy?" He said, reaching for his glasses and his voice still foggy from the sleep.

"No," She admitted, coming over to him and letting him pull her in close. "At least not if I'm being honest."

"What happened?" Emmett asked her as gently as possible.

She sighed. "It's irrational -"

"Tell me about it," He insisted, trying to prove to her that it was okay to tell him. "Really."

She sighed again as she curled into him. "Is Sam okay?"

"Is that what you're worried about?" Emmett leaned her head onto his shoulder as carefully as he could and began running his fingers through her hair. "Emmy, she's fine. Today was one of her good days, and she was as content as she could be for most of it."

She sighed a third time. "How do you guess?"

Emmett gently pecked her forehead. "Tell me what's bothering you…" He murmured.

Emmeline bit her lip. "I just...Emmett, I'm sorry, I just feel awful right now, what with having worked extremely late and, with our second little girl due at the end of January, I'm scared."

"And there's nothing wrong with that," He assured her, massaging her arm. "Sam's fine, the baby's fine, and you're home now and okay. That's good enough for me."

A small laugh escaped in spite of herself. "You're a good father, you know that?"

"I hope so," He said with a smile. "I guess maybe it has something to do with -"

"The fact that you love kids in general?" Emmeline smiled knowing that she was right. "Of course. Look, Emmett, I love Sam, and I already love Lily, but things are complicated…and I'm scared because what if I completely fuck this up?"

"You won't." He said gently. "Emmy -"

"Emmett, we won't know that until it's too late if we do fuck up!" She bit back tears as she glanced at her hands. "How can I -"

"Emmy, sweetheart, listen to me," He said, his voice lowering and becoming softer. "I know we've both made mistakes already with Sam, but she's just fine. We can handle this, and we are. Just promise me that you'll try and get some sleep because I don't think either of us are going to be able to be even halfway decent parents in the morning if we're exhausted."

She nodded, tiredly running a hand through her hair. "Maybe I'm being irrational…"

"It's okay, Emmy," He murmured, kissing her forehead and then setting his glasses aside. "I love you."

Emmeline sighed and let him hold her close as they both slowly fell asleep. "I love you too." She softly replied.

* * *

**_December 20th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_2:59 PM_**

"Willow?" Cinder smirked, stepping into her sister's bedroom in the otherwise empty Schnee Manor. "It's been too long since we last spoke, sissy.. How's mommy dearest?"

Willow recoiled and swore upon realizing her scroll was down in the library "Ash…" She started nervously, backing up into her dressing table.

"It's Cinder now," She told her, casually leaning against the wall with her amber eyes flaring slightly. "But I suppose I can make an exception for you just this once. Let me guess: you're all angry with me because I'm finally taking what I want in life?"

"What the hell do you want?" Willow shakily asked her. "Haven't you done enough damage? I heard you have it out for the whole family now, isn't that right?"

"Well, maybe I do," Cinder coyly replied. "But I just want to talk. I know that you've got questions - even if you won't ask them. So, I'll start with Elizabeth Morell. That bitch double crossed me to save herself, though I suppose I'm not surprised. She was never particularly invested in my cause and I backed her into a corner both figuratively and literally. I threatened her because I knew that she would be useful to the cause, as an intelligent politician, but I guess her years of work in women's rights, faunus rights, and general philanthropic behavior came through. The court even cleared her name. As for Rebecca Neale, well she served her purpose and then she was no longer useful. And I believe that brings us to Roman Torchwick, though he's better known to most as Dean Carson. He's useful for me in Vale but he serves no purpose here."

Willow shook but reminded herself that there were cameras in every room in the house. She would not be in danger, and she would have evidence against Ashlynn and her evil.

"But...but then why would you try to kill all of us?" She bit off. "Why did you all murder Edward Ciel? Why are you after the rest of the Ciel family? Emmeline, for instance? What has she ever done?"

Cinder laughed before twisting her hair with her hands. "She's just not useful. Although, at least, since she might be pregnant I might spare her a little longer. You know, and then killed her shortly after the baby was born. Gives more of an impact, even if she didn't die on the same day as her father."

"That's perfectly horrible!" Willow exclaimed in abject horror. "And why would you do any of this? They've never hurt you and they deserve to be happy after all these years!"

"Oh, and I don't deserve happiness?" Cinder challenged. "Everyone talks about the reasons that other people like Emmett deserve to be happy, but they never talk about how I lost everything. Or how your marriage is convoluted and has hurt you in more than one way -"

"I...I...my marriage is...is complicated!" Willow shouted. "But I wouldn't say that it's outright...well…"

"You can't even get your thoughts together properly," Cinder observed. "Which seems to me to imply that you know the truth that I've been pushing for years. Do you even love Jacques?"

Willow tensed visibly and lost her meager self control and screamed. "Yes!"

Cinder scoffed. "Well, I doubt he loves you," She rolled her eyes, looking bored. "I already have to kill Emmeline and the rest of them, so why not throw Emmett and Jacques into the mix too?"

"No!" Willow reached for the nearest thing to her, which happened to be the fire poker, and held it up defensively in case her sister tried to attack. "Why do you have such a thirst for blood?"

"I don't have a thirst for blood!" Cinder screamed. "I have a thirst for power and if that means some blood must be shed across the way then so be it! I'll kill anyone who stands in my way and, unfortunately, that has to include you if you try to stand in my way! So, are you on my side?"

"What?" Willow scowled, her hands tightening around the fire poker. "You can't be serious!"

"Excuse me?" Cinder responded with a dark look in her eyes. "Are you on my side, or aren't you?"

Willow shook her head. "Absolutely not," She snapped. "You're a monster."

"Oh Willow, I'm not a monster." Cinder swore under her breath and then began to saunter out. "I just do what I have to. If this is where the line is...then so be it. Enjoy dying...you've all chosen the wrong side."

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke but Willow didn't feel safe until she gathered the evidence and sent it to the Council, claiming she had recorded it all because her scroll had been on her but never admitting there were cameras. Willow didn't need them that night, though, because, as soon as he found out, Jacques went out of his way to comfort her and swore that he would do whatever it took to ensure their safety.

* * *

**_December 20th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:46 PM_**

"Well, that's not wrong," Elizabeth muttered before looking back to Emmett. They had been talking for over an hour regarding what he needed to know for the upcoming Vytal Festival and it had become remarkably pessimistic. "But, fine, I won't say anything else about it. You and Spencer are only history professors anyway. You don't have to know that much. By the way," Elizabeth pulled a letter out of her pocket and shoved into his hands. "This is yours, it was -"

"Thanks," Emmett said as she walked out of the apartment tensely, turning back to look at him once before shaking her head and closing the door quietly behind her. As soon as she was gone, he tore open the letter and he tensed upon recognizing the familiar handwriting but the words written on it were what made him shake.

_Emmett, I know that you don't want to hear from me but I...I feel that it's important to tell you the truth. All of it:_

_When I first disappeared, I only survived the bombing of the motorway in Mistral because she orchestrated it. I was removed, half conscious, from the rubble by Tyrian Callows who, by all accounts, is more than just a sycophantic serial killer as I'm sure everyone well knows...but I digress. She coerced me into working for her because -_

Emmett ripped off that part, irked by her nerve but his eyes widened at the next part.

_...fully, I admit. I wanted nothing more than to take control over the Schnee Dust Company. It would have been an easy route to power and, not only that, it would have prevented Jacques from getting it. I also -_

Seeing Sam's name as he scanned further down, Emmett bit the inside of his cheek while he read it.

_And I want Sam to be happy. I would willingly die for her and it's because I see her as my own daughter even though I've never met her. That is her name, isn't it? Sam? That's what I heard you call her. I saw you with her and your wife a few weeks ago in Vale. Is Emmeline pregnant, by chance? Either way, I'm not sorry for what I've done and the woman I've become, but I'm not totally gone. Keep that in mind before you attempt to murder me._

_Ashlynn Cinder Schnee, your sister._

Emmett glared at the note that was in pieces and went into the bathroom across from the living room, pulling out a lighter that he occasionally used to singe off the ends of stray fabrics. Setting the note in its pieces down on the marble counter, Emmett glared before lighting it on fire and watching it burn. He felt tenser than ever, his thoughts swirling around his estranged sister's empty words and the terrible promises she seemed to make. The papers, torn into pieces, curled and small billows of smoke rose from them in an almost beautiful fashion. The fire and smoke were like a sick, controlled dance and, for some reason, it felt like the final severing of his ties to his estranged sister. They were not family, not anymore, and they were on other sides of the war. Perhaps they always had been.

"What the hell is that smell?"

Emmett jumped in surprise upon hearing his wife, who raised an eyebrow when she saw the ashes on the counter.

"Another threat?" Emmeline tiredly surmised.

"A false explanation," He replied.

Emmeline shook her head. "It's going to be alright. She's not stupid enough to try anything."

Emmett said nothing but tightly embraced her until he heard their daughter start to cry and ran off down the hall to make sure the little girl was okay.


	39. I am Prepared to Fight for You

**_January 5th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_4:32 PM_**

Cristal looked disdainfully at her brother. "You burned the evidence? Is this your first day on the planet? That was stupid at best, and -"

"Chrissy -" He started defensively, leaning against the counter.

"I don't want to hear it," She snapped. "If this were an ongoing case and I or someone on my team did something like that, we'd be in jail."

Emmet snorted. "Yes, because I'm going to go to jail for being angry and upset about receiving a questionable message from our estranged sister."

"You said she expressed a disturbing interest in your daughter," Cristal reminded him. "That is of note, Emmett, especially since this is the first time we've ever had any hint at her being after more than just offing this entire family."

Emmett all but collapsed into the sofa beside Emmeline, who took his hand reassuringly.

"I made a mistake," He finally said. "But, honestly, can you blame me?"

Cristal and Ozpin exchange a knowing look.

"No," She admitted. "But it's still...it wasn't best practice, and I think you know it."

"What was I supposed to do?" He said, burying his face in his hands. "You can't honestly think you'd have done any different, can you?"

Cristal hesitated. "I want to say I wouldn't have acted as rashly."

"That's not an answer," Emmett mumbled.

She sent Emmeline a pleading look. "Can you talk some sense into him?"

She shook her head. "No, I think there's enough against her already and that it wouldn't have changed anything. Honestly, isn't this bad enough? Why would we waste more energy on something that can't be changed and is causing us all enough pain as it is?"

Cristal sighed. "I just wish there were a simpler solution."

"The simple solution is that she be given the chance to explain herself, and be brought to trial for the involvement she had in...for…" Emmeline bit her lip, and Emmett gently pulled her in close. "For the hand she claims to have had in my father's death."

"She won't show her face around here and risk getting caught," Cristal reminded her. "All things considered, she's not that stupid."

Ozpin nodded. "I agree."

"Well, what are we supposed to do?" Emmeline said tiredly. "None of us quite know what she's capable of, let alone -"

"We should continue to try and discern where the other maidens are," Ozpin told her, taking Cristal's hand when he saw her flinch. "And hope that we'll manage to track Her down before she gets her hands on any Relics, provided she knows where they are."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow upon her little niece running into the room, pulsing something in her hands that she kept playing with.

"Mommy, daddy, look!" Carleigh started giggling and jumped on her mom, who picked her up with a nervous glance to her husband.

"Carleigh," Ozpin said slowly. "When did you learn to do that?"

"I made Ollie laugh," She said with a grin. "He likes bubbles."

She excitedly started pulsing bubbles, and Cristal suddenly looked rather nervous.

"Chrissy," Ozpin murmured. "She has magic."

Cristal pulled her daughter in close and let Ozpin wrap an arm tightly around her and their daughter.

"Magic?" Emmeline pressed, frowning. "Don't you think that was something we should have known about?"

"Emmeline, listen -" Ozpin started.

"You know everything about us," Emmett said, scowling. "And you didn't tell us that your kids had -"

"He told me," Cristal said softly. "I just hoped it wouldn't be true."

"And you never thought to -" Emmett stared at his sister in shock.

"I worry about my kids just as much as you do," She said, looking as if she were about to cry. "And this could put them in more danger than anything else."

"They'll be fine," Ozpin murmured, kissing her cheek. "Really, they will."

Cristal shakily adjusted her glasses. "I just hope we all will be."

* * *

**_January 12th_**

**_Patch_**

**_2:14 PM_**

"Tai, what are you doing?" Elizabeth asked as the two of them continued to walk with his hands in front of her eyes. "I swear, if you're taking me out into the woods to murder me -"

"I'm not," Tai promised her, removing his hands from in front of her eyes and bringing his lips down on hers in a passionate kiss. "I love you so much, remember?"

"Of course I remember!" Elizabeth said, pulling him closer to her as she kicked off her heels. "But really, dragging me out into the backyard while convincing me that we're not simply taking forever to go outside is a new low for you."

"Can we really call it a low if it's just the two of us?" Tai asked her, causing her to laugh.

"Okay, so you have a point there," She said with a faint smile. "It's not been that often that we've gotten to spend much time alone together recently - especially since Yang's a hyper little girl, I have work, and Qrow and Summer are having a baby. Not to mention that...well, you never really explained to me how you pulled this stunt off, have you?"

"Lizzie…" Tai murmured, rubbing her back. "I don't know if you know how much Yang adores you. Honestly, you'd be a great mother."

"Would I be?" Elizabeth asked him, doubtful that that was true. "I'm not exactly the best partner, Tai, how come you think that I'd be a good mother?"

"Because I've seen how you are with my little girl and I know that she loves having you around." Tai said with a smile. "I love you too and that might be part of what I think we need to talk about."

Elizabeth looked at him in concern before considering anything else. "Is something wrong, Tai?"

"What? No, Lizzie, everything's fine." Tai shook that off before pulling her into him tightly. "It's just I...I know this is a little bit...no very unexpected but I…will you marry me?"

Shock flashed over her before she sighed. "I don't know Tai...is this really the right time?"

"Probably not," Tai admitted. "But I also am emotionally driven and this is something that feels like it would be right to me. I love you deeply and I want to marry you."

"I...I…" Angry at herself for crying, Elizabeth tried to not dwell on that as he wiped the rogue tears away from her face. "I love you too Tai and I do want to marry you it's just that I'm...I'm afraid."

"Really?" He asked her gently and she nodded. "Oh Lizzie…"

She sighed. "It's stupid, and it's irrational but I -"

"No, it's not," Tai assured her with a light kiss to her lips. "Because you have been through so much and I know that leaves scars on a person that cannot be healed. I love you either way, though, whether you're my wife or not."

"I'm worried about you too," Elizabeth told him. "Because you'll be brutally looked at by the media because you'd be marrying me, the still-semi controversial chair of the Atlesian National Security Council. I hate that my job is a barrier in our relationship but you have to remember that -"

"I don't care," Tai said though he backtracked when he realised that that was a lie. "Okay, so maybe I don't want to be looked at by the media but I feel like if both of our emotions are telling us to do this then we should."

"I want to," Elizabeth promised him, biting her lip. "But I don't want there to be pain for you. You act like I've been through a lot but you've had worse than I've had. Your fiance left you with your daughter when she was a baby and I can't even begin to imagine what that stress is like for you."

"You've been brutally tortured," Tai countered. "You've survived being tortured at the hand of Cinder Fall who we both know is incredibly dangerous. It's scarred you, yes, but you're so strong because you survived. You could have died, but you didn't. You could have given in to her, but you didn't."

"Tai -" Elizabeth started tiredly.

"Lizzie, I don't want you to be afraid," Tai said, kissing her forehead. "If you're not ready then I -"

Cutting off his words with a kiss, Elizabeth leaned into him heavily. "And you're sure that you are going to be okay with dealing with the media?"

Tai nodded. "It's not going to be fun, but I'll deal with it for you."

"You're sure?" She pressed. "Are you absolutely sure?"

"I know it'll be difficult," Tai said with a sigh. "But I love you and I really want to marry you."

Looking at him seriously, Elizabeth nodded. "Alright."

Lifting her up into his arms, Tai kissed her and drew her close. "You'll really marry me?"

"Yes," Elizabeth smiled as he slipped a ring on to her finger. "I'll marry you."

"Hey," Qrow said coming outside and taking a sip of the drink in his flask. "What are you two doing out here?"

Setting her down and wrapping an arm around her, Tai and Elizabeth shared a look before looking to Qrow. "We're getting married."

Choking slightly on the questionable liquid from his flask, Qrow looked at them in surprise. "Are you joking, Tai?"

"No," Tai said, pulling Elizabeth a little bit closer to him. "We really are getting married."

Qrow looked at Elizabeth in shock before shaking his head. "So I guess you're going to be an actual member of the family, Madame Morell."

"Elizabeth," She corrected. "I've been telling you that there's nothing wrong with calling me by my given name for months now, Qrow, and -"

"Okay, Elizabeth, I guess you're family now," Qrow said with a smirk and turning back towards the house with a grin. "Hey, Sums! You are not going to believe what just happened out here!"

Elizabeth turned bright pink, but Tai only smiled.

* * *

**_January 30th_**

**_Atlesian Main Hospital_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_7:51 AM_**

"Oh for God's sake, let them in," Emmeline told the nurse tiredly. "It's just my sister-in-law, husband, and daughter. They have every right to meet the new baby"

The nurse nodded weakly as she let them into the room. "Yes ma'am."

The woman stood in the doorway for a moment and then shook her head as she shut the door quietly behind herself.

"Oz is with Carleigh and Oliver," Cristal said, her heels clicking as she paced and Emmett guided his little girl towards her mother and newborn sister. "How is she?"

Emmeline smiled. "Just fine."

Emmett pressed an affectionate kiss to his wife's forehead and then lightly tapped his newborn daughter's nose. She was calmly curled up in her mother's arms, swaddled in a blanket, and sleeping peacefully for the time being.

"Hi, Lysithea," Emmett said with a smile. "I'm going to call you Lily too, okay?"

Emmeline laughed weakly. "Emmett, we've…"

"I know, I know," He said, lifting Samara up into his lap and letting her see her baby sister. "Sam, this is Lily. Your sister."

"Li!" Samara bubbled reaching towards her with her tiny hands.

"No, no," Emmett said, pulling her back. "Lily is really tiny so you have to be gentle with her. She's going to be super tiny for a while, you know."

Samara pouted but curled against her father and stared at her mother and sister.

"Emmeline," Cristal said after a moment. "Can I hold her?"

She nodded shortly. "Of course."

Cristal sat down across from her brother and gently took her niece into her arms, rocking her gently.

"I'm your aunt Cristal," She told the sleeping girl. "You'll be seeing a lot of me and your cousins."

Emmett sighed as his wife slowly fell asleep next to him. Ruffling her hair while she slept, Emmett let silence fall over them and it was a relief. For once, it seemed, things were genuinely peaceful.

"You love me?" Samara asked suddenly, looking at her father with wide eyes.

Emmett stared at her for a moment in shock.

"Sammie," He finally said. "I promise that your mother and I won't forget about you or anything. We love you just as much as we love Lily and things are going to be fine. You're going to be a good sister."

The little girl smiled, satisfied with his answer.

"I never thought there would be a time where my little brother would be a father," Cristal remarked, letting her half-awake, now, niece wrap a tiny hand around her finger. "But you've done well. Dad...dad would have been proud of you."

Emmett shook his head. "I wouldn't have wanted that. I remember what he did to you after you tried to leave the kingdom."

Cristal swallowed hard. "You remember that?"

"I remember hearing loud arguing down the hall and him losing his temper and hitting you to the point where you were on the floor in pain," Emmett hesitated, seeing that she looked about ready to cry. "I was thirteen, Chrissy. I remember."

"I had pushed the daddy's little girl card too far way too many times," Cristal said quietly. "I should never have tried to run away like that, but…"

"Dad never had any right to beat you," Emmett countered. "Just like mom, from what you and Willow said, never had any right to verbally abuse you and Willow when you made mistakes."

Cristal brushed the tears away from her eyes, not caring that her glasses became slightly askew.

"He always liked you best," She eventually said. "I think he wished I had been a boy…"

"Well, that's rich," Emmett scoffed. "And not particularly good parenting, either."

Cristal sighed. "You and I both know he became subsumed by work."

"That's not an excuse," Emmett gently countered. "If he had loved you at your best, then he should have loved you at your worst too."

Cristal felt herself starting to shake and pulled her niece closer to her steadily, not wanting to upset the newborn girl.

"Mmmmm...Emmett?" Emmeline woke up groggily and he took her hand in his as she pushed herself up, relaxing when he, Cristal, and the girls came into focus. "Is everything alright?"

"It's all fine," Emmett promised her, kissing her softly. "Chrissy was just starting to explain things to Lily...although I have a feeling that we're all going to have to do so again later."

"You're funny," Emmeline said, wrapping her arms around his neck and pulling him close before looking at her girls. "But I think they're going to be pretty close."

"Mommy!" Samara exclaimed happily, climbing onto her.

"Hi, honey," Emmeline said, trying to hold her squirming daughter still. "Are you having a good day?"

Samara nodded furiously. "Yeah!"

"I think they'll be close too," Emmett said with a chuckle. "Emmy, I seriously cannot love you enough. You're so perfect and you're the mother of my girls. I don't even know what to do."

Emmeline laughed and leaned into him. "I love you too, Emmett, you don't have to do anything, I promise."

"Honestly," Emmett said as she wrapped her fingers around his long white waves. "I don't know what I was so..."

He trailed off when Lily started to cry and he quickly took his newborn daughter from his sister, who helped distract Samara long enough for Emmeline to get her baby girl to latch and start to nurse.

"I'll see you guys later," Cristal said, setting her year-old niece down. "Okay?"

Emmett nodded as she picked up her purse and left the room.

"Daddy…" Samara whined. "Hungry…"

He pulled out a sippy cup with orange juice in it and opened a small jar of carrot puree for her. Messily, the little girl happily began to eat.

"It doesn't really matter what we were scared of, now," Emmett said, kissing his wife's forehead. "Because either way we got married and have two sweet girls."

Emmeline smiled. "Yes, we do."

And, in that moment, it seemed to all of them that things had a chance to be alright after all.


	40. Time Can Heal (Almost) Anything

**_February 27th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:17 AM_**

Emmeline Cecilia Ciel was more relaxed than she had been in months. She had no Council meetings that day, although she knew full well it was because Ronnie and the rest of the conservative party had caused a government shutdown because they were unwilling to compromise with the progressives on how to handle Sassler's request for additional funds and a formal declaration of war from the Council against the groups associated with Sienna Kahn or those responsible for Edward's assassination just under four years before. It still pained her to remember what happened to her father, and she knew it was hard on her siblings too. Nevertheless, when she set aside the gruesome politics and their implications, she felt quite calm. The apartment was quiet, and Lysithea had only woken up once since the morning had broken. Her baby girl was now sound asleep in her and Samara's room, and her big sister was out in the city with Emmett.

Emmeline smiled and sipped her second cup of coffee, humming to herself. Emmett had been in a good mood the whole morning, and Emmeline knew it was because he still didn't have to go back to work for another three weeks. She was sure once Atlas Academy went back into session that he wouldn't be in such high spirits, but, for now, she was glad he was happy. He had hummed while cooking breakfast – pancakes and eggs – and in between being responsible and watching what he was doing, he had gotten Samara dressed in her snow clothes, cleaned off his glasses, done his hair (which had now grown well past his shoulders) in a low ponytail, and found the time to tease her after mass. She had chided him for his lack of responsibility, but she hadn't really been annoyed. In the last few years, it had been unusual for him to be so light-hearted, and it was a welcome change of pace for them all to be a bit more relaxed. Samara had been sweet and giggling, and Lily had been calm after she'd eaten. It was a less hectic morning than usual for them, to say the very least.

Emmett had all but bounced out of the apartment with Samara giggling in her stroller and snugly in her snow clothes. Emmeline doubted the little girl would have any desire to actually play in the snow – the last time they had tried to introduce her to snow, she had huddled against her mother and wouldn't even touch it once she realized it was cold although she had started giggling when she threw a bit of snow, in her tiny hands, at Emmett and it got in his hair. Today, it was far more likely that she was going to go to a coffee shop with Emmett and see her aunt and cousins while her father had a scone (or two). Emmett was notorious for his love of sweets, and he justified it by going out of his way to run two miles on the treadmill every day. Emmeline often teased him, but she knew he meant well and that he loved her and their kids. That was more than enough for her. Still, she was happy to have a few hours to herself where she could relax on a Sunday. She had even gotten the chance to change back into her pyjamas once they had gotten home from mass, and she was more calm, more relaxed, and far more comfortable than she had been in a long time.

"Of course…" Emmeline muttered upon hearing a window break down the hall in the master bedroom.

Her newborn daughter started to cry from her and Samara's room, and Emmeline ran down the hall to comfort her before she checked what was happening. It only took a few minutes of nursing to get her back down, but Emmeline remained nervous. She quietly closed the door to her daughter's room, and then started down the hall, a sinking feeling rising in her. When the door to the master bedroom creaked open, Emmeline found one of the windows was broken and she swore under her breath. She supposed it was possible that it had been a joke by one of the neighbor kids, but it felt wrong nonetheless. Yes, the neighbors that lived on their floor in the apartment complex separated only by eight feet of alleyway had some rambunctious teenagers that were known for being little shits and they had gotten into trouble for vandalism before but it had never been like this. That was exactly what set her on edge. After a moment, with the only noise being the low, constant hum of electricity and the light breeze outside, she kneeled down and picked up a shard of glass.

Her heart almost stopped when she caught a glimpse of a reflection with in it that was not her own, holding a blade of pure silver that was more than prepared to kill.

Emmeline felt herself drop the shard and she pushed out her hand, pulsing her aura. The blade made contact with the blast and let out a sharp snap. Emmeline straightened herself out and took the few seconds she had to tear open one of the drawers nearby and grab her shotgun. A moment then passed in silence and she saw her sister-in-law step out of the small closet with the blade set to her side. Cinder looked rather irritated, yet also smug, and Emmeline, for all her military training, felt her heart drop. Her hands tightened around the gun, which she pointed defensively towards her sister-in-law, who was sauntering towards her. The sorceress was dressed as seductively as always and, just by the embroidery, Emmeline knew the dress was infused with Dust. It was the type of outfit an assassin would wear.

Assassin. The word reverberated through her head and she found herself terrified that this was the beginning of what the woman had meant when she had declared she would pick off the rest of the Ciel family one by one.

"Hmmph," Cinder snorted, looking particularly sour. "I should have known you'd put a fight. Pity. I thought you'd be easier to handle…like your father."

Emmeline flinched despite herself and took a step back while the sorceress slowly stepped towards her.

"You had a hand in that, I imagine," Emmeline said dryly, her eyes narrow. "Based on what evidence has surfaced, at any rate. So, to what do I owe this displeasure?"

Cinder laughed. "Don't be like that, darling, this has never been personal."

Emmeline scowled. "For some reason," She said darkly, her gun still pointed at her quote un-quote dear sister-in-law. "I doubt that."

Cinder pursed her lips. "Little Samara home?"

"No," Emmeline snapped, silently praying that she wouldn't hurt Lily. "She's still out with Emmett."

"Good," Cinder replied, and Emmeline forced herself not to lower her gun in shock. "I'd rather deal with you alone…and I suppose the little brat down the hall won't remember any of this."

"You're treading a thin line," Emmeline told her, hands shaking despite herself. "And I'm surprised you're even taking the risk of being back in a kingdom where the Council wants your head."

Cinder rolled her eyes. "I might have to leave for a little from time to time, but I'll always come back. Some of the people I'm afraid I'll have to…handle are too much even for me right now. Headmasters, politicians...certain members of your family. But you? Oh, Emmeline, you're weaker than the rest of them, and you know why? It's because you are exactly like your father, who was damn useless beyond acting tough, beyond –"

"He had his faults, and I won't deny that I think he would have been spread thin in a time of war," Emmeline said, her voice low. "But at least he meant well and was trying to do right by the country."

Cinder smiled. "I know. That's why it was such a shame that he had to die."

Emmeline stared at her in silence, unsure of what to say or do.

"I hope you know I haven't got a choice here," Cinder said, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "If I did, I'd probably only feel the need to handle Ronnie right now. He's a senator, after all, far more powerful than you who's only just a commander, and, of course, he's extremely well-liked and known. There would be more of an immediate impact, don't you know?"

Emmeline shook her head. "You and I both know I don't want to shoot you."

Cinder smirked. "Afraid, Commander?"

"I'm not as easy a target as you seem to believe," Emmeline snapped, pulsing her aura with one of her hands and knocking Cinder to the ground for just a moment. "And, no, I don't want to have to shoot you if I can get away with it."

Cinder let out an enraged shriek and pushed herself up before charging at Emmeline who fired a shot but missed by just an inch. The former Schnee almost had Emmeline but the commander dodged her attempt to stab her and the sword ended up lodged partially in the wall. Cinder swore while Emmeline ran into the living room down the hall with her gun in hand and, as soon as she ripped her weapon out of the wall, began to chase her in earnest. Emmeline knew her shotgun only had a few more shots left in it, and, while she was ready to fire again if necessary, she knew her best chance would be if she could grab her rifle from by the door. She had only a few seconds when she tumbled over the couch but found herself pinned to the ground by her sister-in-law before she could reach it or even get back on her feet.

"Emmeline…" Cinder sneered, shaking her head and pressing her heel harder against the commander's chest, causing her to let out a small cry of pain. "I can make this very quick or very painful and, as much as I'd enjoy the latter, I have enough respect for Emmett and your girls. Don't make me resort to –"

Emmeline managed to move her arm just enough to shoot Cinder in the ankle, giving her barely enough time to get to her feet and fire another shot. There were only two left in the shotgun. Cinder whipped around to look at the shot in distraction, and, in the small amount of time it bought her, Emmeline shoved her shotgun behind a small bookshelf and slung her rifle over her shoulder. It was then time seemed to stop and she heard her baby girl start to cry again. Emmeline wanted nothing more in that moment than to comfort her, but she knew she couldn't, not without risking her safety. Cinder began to run at her again, but, adrenaline pulsing through her, Emmeline all but ripped open the door and started running down the stairs to the alleyway. If she cut through and ran, she could make it to the DFAMA offices within fifteen minutes and her defenses would be better.

Cinder tore off angrily after her sister-in-law, pausing for a brief moment in the apartment to pick up a picture of Emmeline and Emmett from their wedding and slam it into the ground, shattering the glass of the frame. She didn't care that she was giving the commander a minute more to escape; she would find her, and it would be without difficulty. Cinder glanced out the window briefly and that was all she needed to pursue her. With her magic, she shattered the glass with a ring of fire and gracefully bounded out through the fire escape before dropping into the alleyway and firing a shot from her own gun at the commander. Emmeline jumped out of the way, but she found herself more terrified than ever and, her breathing heavy and her heart pounding, she started to run once more. She kept telling herself that she would be safe if she managed to get into the DFAMA but it suddenly occurred to her that she had no ID and that she was in her pyjamas. Her bare feet were starting to get sore and she was sure they were being cut open raw.

"Oh, for heaven's sake!" Emmeline finally screamed when Cinder had fired the last shot and tossed her now-unloaded pistol aside. "Why can't you just leave us be? What the hell is this all for?"

"You don't understand!" Cinder shrieked, forming a small ball of fire in her hands and holding it up menacingly while Emmeline tried to shield herself with her aura. "Do you have any idea what I've had to endure? The pain that my damn mother put me through and now this? You think I don't deserve my due? If this is what I have to do to finally get what I deserve, then so fucking be it!"

Cinder threw the ball of fire towards her, but Emmeline pulsed her semblance just enough to stop it. She felt worse than ever, and she, feeling almost as if she would fall over, kept running with a hand on her rifle through the deep alleyway. Rows of building after building shielded it and made it dark even in the daytime and the snow did little to help. It was icy, and Emmeline almost slipped as she managed to turn a corner. Her pursuer started laughing behind her and, by the time they were within range again, she had readied her rifle to fire. Emmeline clenched her hands tightly around the trigger and began to fire, but the ex-Schnee pulverized them with a summoned ring of fire. Only one bullet made contact, and it left a deep bruise in the palm of her hand, causing her to shriek in outrage.

"Are you out of your fucking mind?" Cinder screamed. "Just let me –"

"Ashlynn, you're the one who's –" Emmeline started, firing another round that the sorceress only just barely managed to evade with her magic.

"You're supposed to be an example!" Cinder snarled. "I told you I could make this easy, why can't you just—"

She was cut off by a sudden bullet piercing her foot and her face immediately darkened while her amber eyes flared menacingly. She knew that she was coming up close on having expended all of her sorcery and aura, but she didn't give a damn. All she cared about, in this moment with nothing but pure hatred pumping through her cold veins, was doing what she knew she had to do. She began to slash at the commander, who parried them with the body of her rifle until she could get behind her and kick her in the back. Yet Cinder quickly retaliated and, while Emmeline's attack had skidded her about a foot down and a lighting dust bullet was now lodged in her foot, Cinder slammed the commander down with a violent pulse of aura to give herself enough time to regain her footing.

"You know who I report to," Cinder growled, using a small bit of her magic to rip the painful bullet out of her now-bleeding foot. Her aura was close to breaking, and even she knew it. "You know how well I've been trained."

Emmeline scowled, firing another shot to distract her. "I thought she only had other people bend to her will."

Cinder started laughing, vainly tossing her ashen hair back once more.

"Who do you think trains them?" She replied with another sick laugh. "In your humble opinion, of course, Commander Ciel?"

Emmeline was about to respond but had to quickly parry the sorceress' attack. She found herself kicking and thrashing – something she hadn't needed to resort to since she had been first enlisted at nineteen – and then she found herself lying on the sidewalk. Out of the corner of her eye, she could see the DFAMA offices and the legislature's proud building as well as people walking around the city. It was a cold morning, but it wasn't a deterrent to them. Emmeline then realized that some people were stopping to see what was going on and she lowered her rifle, immediately regretting it when the sorceress shot at her and she got hit in the shoulder. Emmeline felt her heart pounding, her breath went shallow and quick, and she was more than terrified when the woman slowly began to saunter towards her, drawing her sword.

"Damn it…" Emmeline wasn't even sure if she had spoken and felt sick. "I have to…to act like Qrow."

She propped herself up with her elbows and forced herself back up and fired another shot at her that Cinder blocked with her sword. Emmeline ducked out of another ball of fire and tried to catch her breath, ready to do what she had to so she would be able to see her girls again. She tore at her and managed to get a decent punch to the sorceress' face but got kicked back to the ground and the amber-eyed woman looked more confident, more imposing than she ever had.

"If you…" Emmeline could barely get her words out and she wanted to slap the sorceress. "You little…Ash… ashbitch…"

"What?" Cinder sneered.

The sorceress shrieked upon being knocked back by the commander smacking her in the stomach with the back end of her rifle. She stumbled back and swore. It occurred to her that a small crowd was starting to form across the street, and it made her smirk. All she could think of was how much more power this would give her if she managed to finally kill her. A beat passed when she heard the yelling around them, the panic, and, for just a second, she felt a sharp, phantom pain in her arm, and it felt as if her mother had snapped on her again. It hardened her, and she pulled her second sword from her side and merged it with her other blade to form a bow and a final arrow. It missed by nearly nine feet, and it caused a massive explosion into a building nearby. Emmeline was knocked down again, panting heavily in exhaustion.

"Someone call the police!" People shrieked in the crowd.

"I have to say," Cinder sneered, snatching her sister-in-law by the collar of her pyjamas. "I've got to give you some credit, my dear sister-in-law, but you've made this much, much harder than it ever needed to –"

Emmeline managed to breathlessly (and possibly accidentally) fire one last shot that pried the sorceress off her, but it activated a small charge the woman had in her hands. The sorceress and the commander stumbled over just before the fuse went off. It did no physical damage to either woman or the city, but they both were knocked unconscious by the blast. The last thing that Emmeline consciously recalled was the world spinning around her, every sound getting further and further away with the smell of smoke, a sharp pain reverberating in her right shoulder, and screams that filled the air. It was dark for so long, she couldn't say if she tried, but it had only been ten minutes by the time she came to with paramedics around her and police tape blocking off the scene.

"Emmy!" Emmett yelled, rushing to his wife's side with their two daughters tightly in his arms, completely disregarding the tape and flashing his huntsman license as best he could. "Are you –"

"I…" She forced out weakly.

"Mommy!" Samara exclaimed, trying to climb on her mother once Emmett had kneeled down by his wife's side.

"Mister Schnee, please, there's a gunshot wound in her shoulder," One of the paramedics said in exasperation, struggling to pry the little girl off her mother, who they had gotten sitting up.

"She's fine," Emmeline coughed out.

"Commander Ciel, please don't strain yourself," Another paramedic said, taking her vitals.

"Mommy…" Samara whined, tugging on her mother's tangled hair.

"Don't hurt your mother," Emmett told her, patting Lysithea's back to keep her quiet. "Shh, Lily, it's okay…"

"Can I…" Emmeline tried to show her baby girl that she was okay but she was too weak and almost fell over again.

"Commander Ciel, please –" The paramedic tried to reason.

She cut herself off upon a government car pulling up nearby and it was then that Emmeline saw several cops restraining Cinder, who seemed to be sedated. An EMT was monitoring them as they put an aura cuff on her wrist which, by the sight of it, latched on immediately. Then, out of the government car and surrounded by bodyguards, Senator Ronnie Ciel, in a full suit, stepped out and walked quickly towards his sister and her family. The paramedics eyed him for a moment but, when he showed them his ID badge and the guards stood around them, they allowed him to pass.

"My God," Ronnie breathed, his stomach sinking. "Emmeline, Emmett, are you –"

"Ronnie?" Emmett stared at his brother-in-law incredulously.

"I'm…" Emmeline began coughing again and little Samara climbed down, looking at her mother worriedly. "I…I think I…"

"I…I was worried sick for you," Emmett whispered, suddenly clinging to his wife with their tiny daughter starting to cry in his arms. "My God, I'm just…I'm so glad you're okay."

"Mister Schnee!" A paramedic chastised. "She needs to be taken to the hospital in order to be checked for –"

"Sammie, honey, don't climb on mommy," Emmett said, taking her into his arms as well. "Mommy's going to be okay, but she needs some –"

"I want to know what's going to happen to her," Ronnie suddenly said, gesturing towards where Cinder was being shoved into the cop car. "She's a highly wanted criminal, and I can assure you that –"

"Senator Ciel, calm down," The lead paramedic said as she directed the others to lift Emmeline onto a stretcher. "Take her vitals again!" She ordered. "And be careful when you draw blood! She's –"

"I hope they restrain her," Emmett murmured to his wife. "I don't care if I share blood with her…after this…no, I'm just…God, if something had happened to you –"

"Emmett, I'm…" Emmeline sighed and fell back slightly against the stretcher, her head starting to hurt.

"They will restrain her," Ronnie said, awkwardly patting his brother-in-law's arm. "She will face the full extent of the law, as she should."

"And if she finds a dirty defense lawyer?" Emmeline coughed out, feeling worse than before. "She could convince a jury of feigned innocence, she would get away, she could –"

"No," Emmett said, holding his daughters tightly against himself and looking to her worriedly. "We'll get the best prosecutors, the system will move quickly because of how high the price on her head has been, and we'll win. She won't see the light of day again."

"Mister Schnee, not now!" A paramedic snapped upon Emmett kneeling slightly to kiss his wife's cheek.

"I'll meet you at the hospital with the girls," He told her. "I promise."

Ronnie took his older niece into his arms and helped carry her to Emmett's car. The little girl kept bubbling incoherently and seemed upset about being taken away from her mother but calmed down considerably once she was in her car seat and cuddling her toy bunny. Lily had started screaming when Emmett had started to secure her, but she did, however grudgingly, take her bottle. She fell back asleep shortly after. Just before he climbed into the driver's side and turned on the car, Emmett let out a small yelp upon his brother-in-law tightly embracing him. He half-heartedly returned it and Ronnie disappeared into his security shortly after. Emmett was terrified the entire time he drove to the hospital and he was unable to relax until he saw his wife and was able to, with the girls in the stroller, embrace her.

She seemed annoyed, though, when she realized that some people from the crowd had filmed part of what happened, and she was horrified when she found out that someone had video of her calling the former Schnee an "Ashbitch." Emmett had found it hilarious, particularly when he found a video of her saying something along the lines of acting like Qrow. It was at about that point she made him stop searching the internet for whatever videos people may have been posting, and he gave in with a smile and an affectionate kiss to her cheek. The only thing Emmeline had been okay with was, as she learned weeks later, that there had been a sudden spike in the number of female applicants to Atlas Academy, in part because of what had happened. That wasn't to say it didn't annoy the hell out of her when people congratulated her or seemed to diminish just how dangerous the situation had been for the sake of a joke, but she was glad that at least a faint bit of good came out of it beyond Cinder's arrest. They were going to be okay, for the time being, and it seemed the former Schnee was finally being dealt with.

Yet fate still seemed to hold a bitter edge in favor of the sorceress.

**Author's note:**** One more chapter before a sixteen year time skip to Beacon! Also, HUGE shoutout to Emil (merendinoemiliano) for helping me out with this chapter! Much love!**


	41. On Borrowed Time

**_March 29th_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council_**

**_Department Of Justice_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Maximum_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:59 PM_**

The judge of the southern district of Atlas sighed heavily before she spoke. "Pertaining to the immediate trial of -"

"Get on with it already!" Cinder snapped, attempting to break out of her cuffs again but to no avail as she glared at the court. "The fact that this had to be held an office of the Department Of Justice is proof that the Atlesian Council doesn't have enough -"

"The immediate trial of Cinder Fall, by birth known as Ashlynn Schnee," She said sharply. "Third day of the trial. The prosecution, Kiara Melissa Davis, will begin with her presentation of the evidence against the defendant."

"You are Cinder Amelia Fall," Davis said, a ridiculously large file clutched to her chest as she moved towards Cinder. "But you were born under the name of Ashlynn Cinder Schnee. As of now, you are thirty-six years of age."

"Incorrect," Cinder hissed. "I'm thirty-one."

The room was silenced by that statement before Davis shook her head.

"No," She said slowly. "You were thirty-one five years ago in 2000."

"I'm thirty-one!" Cinder screamed, standing up though she was restrained by security who injected her with her third dose of sedatives for the day. "And if you want proof, my blood, my DNA can prove it!"

Davis hesitantly walked towards her and showed her the last public photograph that had been taken of her before her disappearance. "You may look the same, minus the hair, as you did five years ago but that does not make you that age still."

Shutting her mouth to avoid saying too much, Cinder didn't respond, and Davis chose to take that as understanding.

"Miss Schnee -" She began.

"Fall," Cinder corrected her with anger spilling over in her voice. "Miss Fall."

Davis sighed, knowing that it would be easier to get her to cooperate if she felt respected. Speaking slowly to start, she tried to strike reason with her, however unlikely that was to happen. "Miss Fall," She said slowly. "Are you aware of the multiple charges coming against you?"

Cinder smirked. "Is one of them the assassination of President Ciel?"

Davis narrowed her eyes. "You are charged with multiple counts of first-degree murder -"

"Of course -" Cinder said, retaining her smirk.

"As well as aiding and abetting acts of treason in the still ongoing wars Vert and several provinces of Vacuo as well as in the southern sea around Menagerie -" Kiara went on.

"Is Rosalinde Varna going to be charged for the executions she ordered in -" Cinder began, her voice falsely sweet.

"Prime Minister Varna and her actions outside of Atlas are not relevant to this proceeding -" Kiara said sharply.

"Is she -" Cinder questioned.

"You are also charged in connection to the assassination of President Edward Samuel Ciel," Davis went on, her voice sharper still. "As well as a dual count of torture and rape against the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Lily Morell –"

"Oh!" Cinder exclaimed, clasping her hands together. "You remember that -"

"You are, furthermore," Kiara took in a sharp breath. "Charged with extreme emotional, mental, and physical abuse onto Miss Morell, whose story has been confirmed further than her several days of open testimony to the Council and the DOJ nearly two years ago."

Cinder shrugged, looking at her nails in boredom. "So?"

Kiara stared at her in horror for a second and then concluded. "And, of course, you are charged with the most recent conspiracy plot that was only barely averted that was intended to kill a commander in the Atlesian military and then continue to kill the other two remaining members of that family, namely the Ciels -"

"Kiara," Cinder said sweetly. "Are the Ciels really so important?"

"Miss Fall, do you plead guilty to these charges brought before you or do you plead not guilty?" Davis asked her with her arms loosely crossed and her file on Cinder-Ashlynn still in hand. "I am giving you one chance to confess before I go right into trying to find every single solitary thing that proves you to be guilty of these crimes before everyone in this hallowed room of justice that -"

"I do plead guilty to these charges." Cinder said with a smile that shook the room and caused Davis's eyebrows to raise in shock and the woman's defense to bury their face in the hands in exasperation.

The judge turned towards the still-restrained woman. "Miss Fall, are you formally claiming responsibility for what the Atlesian Council is charging you with in this opening arraignment?"

"Yes," She unflinchingly replied, knowing full well that, soon enough, Arthur and Tyrion would release her before she could even enter the prison. "And, I must say, I'm rather proud of myself for what I've done. I only regret that my...that some of my associates failed me and turned me in."

Kiara Davis, in her shock, forgot how to proceed and the room felt frozen as the judge read off several statements after the jury agreed that Cinder was in fact guilty as the woman herself had stated. As security began to take her out, Kiara felt herself growing faint as she heard all of the charges and the sentence being read off. Not only that, but she was shaken to the core by the pride the sorceress possessed in the crimes she had committed. If this had been before President Edward S. Ciel had signed the council's motion to remove capital punishment from the kingdom of Atlas, one of his first and tragically few acts as president, Cinder would have found herself to be executed but, instead, she was going to maximum security with a life sentence. Kiara, for all of her moral conflict with capital punishment, believed Fall had more than earned a spot in the former death row. Yet even with the knowledge of her fate in federal prison, there was still fear, the prosecutor knew, because they were all more than aware that Ashlynn had always been cunning, and she was horrified by the mere thought of an escape and, with Torchwick still out there since the kingdom of Vale had released him on parole, and Davis could imagine that there were people out there with no qualms about helping her escape. Those were people whom remained in the shadows, and remained -

"Madame Davis?" Leanne Tanner asked her from behind before giving up on public formalities and sighing heavily. "Kiara, Senator Ciel wants to speak with you. I think you and I both know why."

Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Where?"

Leanne sighed. "Downstairs, his office. I assume I don't have to tell you where that is."

Nodding numbly, Kiara tried to make herself feel more awake. "Of course."

Her heels clicking, Kiara began to move so fast that she walked out of her heels. Letting out a quiet noise of irritation as one of them snapped, Kiara stopped and picked up her heels before running off down the stairs. She knew there were people staring at her oddly, and she knew there were people who simply did not understand what was going on. She did not care.

"Senator Ciel," She said almost breathlessly, tearing into the room and slamming the door shut with so much force that it startled her.

"Kiara," He said slowly, motioning for her to sit down. "First off, I'm sorry that the trial was so -"

"It's fine," Kiara assured him, still trying to catch her breath and fidgeting with her hands in her lap. "Please, sir, don't worry about it because either way Cinder Fall or Ashlynn Schnee is going to maximum security and that will be, hopefully, the last anyone hears of her."

Ronnie let out a faintly amused chuckle. "It is going to be quite ironic when I speak with her in prison."

Kiara blinked, utterly stunned and neither of them spoke for so long that the prosecutor was concerned she had lost her voice.

"Hence why I wanted to speak with you," He finally said, inclining his head slightly towards her and beginning to pace. "I am seeking your advice, in part, I admit, because I don't want to implicate my family when they...particularly Karissa and Spencer...have recently...well, they've received some upsetting news. More to the point, after everything Emmeline and Emmett have gone through in the last few weeks, I can't pin this to any of them...and my wife is adamantly against the idea."

Kiara sighed. "I'm afraid I'm inclined to take your wife's position. Fall is, at best —"

"I'm going through with this, Kiara," He told her. "That's why I need your input."

"And I'm going to remind you that this is the woman that killed your father, almost got your sister, and had plans to kill you and your brother as well," Kiara said shortly. "Do you really think there's anything to be gained from speaking with someone that unreasonable?"

"Maybe not," Ronnie admitted. "But I'm going to regardless."

Kiara raised an eyebrow and then shook her head. "I suggest you do it soon and securely...and don't believe a damn word that she says."

* * *

**_April 3rd_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:15 PM_**

"Mommy?" Ivy Ironwood-Goodwitch tugged on her mother's hand, slowly waking her up. "Caity's making a mess."

"What?" Glynda said tiredly, reaching for her glasses. "Ivy, she's just playing with Barbies and doing their hair, it's not -"

"She's making a mess," Ivy insisted.

Glynda sighed and forced herself out of bed, a headache still lingering from earlier.

"Alright, Ivy," She said, picking up her younger daughter. "What's going on?"

"Kitchen," Ivy told her. "Caity's in the kitchen."

"Mommy!" Caitlin yelled from down the hall.

Glynda all but ran into the kitchen in the small apartment with Ivy still tightly in her arms and, for a moment, was stunned by what she saw. Around her eldest, there were some Barbies, and all of them had some of the most atrocious hair cuts she had ever seen. They were all styled as meticulously as always, and it would have been impressive how much attention the little girl paid to detail if it weren't for the fact that every single one of them had hair that suggested that they had run into a weed whacker. The hair cuts were jagged at the very best and, realistically, they were horrible and wouldn't have been passable even at the most aggressive metal shows. What made it all worse was how happily the little girl was humming and how she waved and smiled at her mother and sister.

"Hair salon!" She declared with a grin and a sparkle in her bright green eyes.

"No!" Ivy yelled. "You make a mess!"

Glynda set her down and took a moment to asses the state of her eldest child's hair which, mercifully, was the same as it had been when her mother had fallen asleep earlier.

"Okay, you know what?" Glynda remarked, mostly to herself, while she picked her crop up off the counter and used her semblance to quickly move the severed hair (all of it, of which there was more than one might expect from just six or seven dolls) into the trash. "I'm just glad that it's not her actual hair."

"Whose actual hair?" James asked, looking rather confused as he stepped into the room.

Glynda gestured to their girls, who were now playing under the kitchen table.

"I didn't realize what Cate meant when she said she wanted to play hair salon," Glynda told him. "And, really, it's a miracle that she didn't take that to her own hair."

James laughed. "She cut off doll hair?"

"Thankfully not with the kitchen shears," Glynda lowered her voice and glanced towards their daughters. "I hope she doesn't know where those are."

"I doubt she'd touch them," He replied, pressing a soft kiss to her lips. "How are you doing? Is -"

"Shh…" Glynda sent him a pointed look.

He looked to where the girls were playing for a moment and then turned back to his wife.

"Have you told them yet?" James murmured, affectionately caressing her cheek.

"We haven't told anyone," She gently reminded him. "But, I suppose, we're going to soon enough."

"At the very least, it'll be easier considering that things have calmed down," He said. "You think the girls will be happy about it?"

"I think so," Glynda laughed a little. "Although we'll have to prepare Caitlin if she has another sister...she's been very insistent the last few months that she's going to have a brother and she doesn't even know yet that…"

James held her close for a moment, stroking her hair.

"Our third baby is going to be just fine," He assured her, sensing her rising nerves. "Just like the girls."

Glynda managed a small smile. "Just like the girls."

"I hit you now!" Caitlin yelled, pulling her arm back while Ivy giggled furiously and continued to tug at her sister's hair.

"No, no -" Glynda moved to stop her but, as she was every so often, the little girl was faster and managed to smack her sister, who, as it happened, seemed to find the whole thing hilarious. "Caity, honey," Glynda said, kneeling down in front of her daughter and taking her hands. "I know you care about your space and don't like it when people get too close to you, but you have to use your words."

The little girl looked down for a moment, feeling bad.

"Sorry…" She said, awkwardly toddling over to her sister and embracing her tightly for a few seconds.

"Fun!" Ivy declared. "Again!"

"No fighting," James told them, trying not to show how amused he was by them. "The two of you are wild enough sometimes without wrestling. Besides, your mother and I have something we all need to talk about."

The two little girls shared a confused look for a moment.

"Listen," Glynda said, helping them up onto the small window seat. "The two of you are going to have a little sibling in November."

Caitlin perked up almost immediately. "I'm having a brother!" She excitedly yelled.

"We don't know that yet," James said with a small chuckle. "You might have another sister."

"No, I'm having a brother," The little girl told him. "Mommy told not a set so I'm having a brother."

"You and Ivy are the only set," James agreed. "But that doesn't -"

"Brother," She repeated. "I'm having a brother."

"I see what you meant," James whispered, and Glynda sighed. "She's persistent, isn't she?"

"Without fail," Glynda said, pushing her hair over her shoulder. "Although it's, for the most part, a good thing."

"Boop!" Ivy exclaimed, tapping her sister's nose.

"Boop!" Caitlin replied, for once playing along and tapping her sister's nose back.

* * *

**_April 15th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:37 PM_**

"Lili!" Samara giggled, tugging at her baby sister's tiny fingers. "Hi!"

"Be careful with her," Emmett reminded her, glancing up from his scroll. He was less than a foot away from the girls, who were comfortably on a blanket he had laid out on the floor, but he was anxious nonetheless. "Lily's a lot smaller than you, Sammie, so just be careful."

Samara nodded and laid down beside her baby sister, letting her have a turn tugging at her fingers.

"Emmett?" Emmeline raised an eyebrow upon stepping into the living room and he smiled, standing up almost immediately to embrace her and press a gentle kiss to her lips. "I missed you too, but I had to go into work and you know it."

"I know," He said, wrapping an arm loosely around her. "Before you ask, the girls are just fine. Sam didn't even try to put anything in her mouth today that wasn't food, either, which is a miracle if I ever saw one."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "You're trying to scare me, aren't you?"

"You were the one that caught her tasting your car keys," Emmett reminded her, putting his hands up in surrender. "Don't blame me because you left them lying on the coffee table for all tiny children to grab and suck on."

Emmeline playfully smacked his arm. "Oh, don't be like that!"

"Mommy!" Samara suddenly shrieked, running over to her mother excitedly and all but wrapping herself around her leg. "Hi!"

"Hi, Sam," Emmeline said, leaning down and ruffling her hair. "How's Lily?"

"Good!" Sam told her, pointing to her sister. "Lili's cute!"

"Of course she's cute," Emmett chuckled, prying their daughter off of his wife's leg and tapping her nose affectionately. "She's a little baby."

"Speaking of which, Emmett, did you -" Emmeline paused upon Lysithea starting to cry and she quickly took her baby girl into her arms. "Shh, Lily…" She murmured. "It's okay, everything's…"

She flinched, for just a moment, and tried to shift the weight away from her still sore shoulder. The wound had more than healed, but it hurt all the same.

"You okay?" Emmett looked to her in deep concern.

"I'm fine," She told him. "Or, at the very least, I will be soon enough."

Emmett sighed. "I'm just...if…"

"She's never going to see the light of day again," Emmeline reminded him. "And she scares me too. I...I still can't believe Ronnie's going to face her."

"Ronnie's out of his mind," Emmett muttered. "She'll never tell him anything that's true, and even he knows it. What does he have to gain here?"

Emmeline paused for a moment in consideration.

"An upper hand?" She suggested dryly. "Another accomplishment he can claim?"

"What would he…" Emmett trailed off and then shook his head. "He has his reasons, he always does."

"That's a surprising amount of faith to put in my brother," Emmeline remarked. "And his supposed good intentions...although it's probably just best to let all of this lie...after all, it seems we're finally going to be able to have the chance to set this aside, even for just a little while."

And yet it was exactly that peace and security that would not be able to last.


	42. Time Passes (By Sixteen Years)

**_Sixteen Years Later_**

**_March 1st_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:32 PM_**

Her eyes looking down in shame while Glynda paced in front of her with her scroll in hand, it was all that Ruby Rose could hope that Tai and Elizabeth wouldn't be too angry with her for going after Torchwick. She hadn't realized that he was the same dangerous criminal that Elizabeth and the kingdom of Atlas had been after for years - since before she had been born, even. That didn't even include the stress that tugged on the Xiao-Long-Morell-Rose family on a regular basis with Violet Morell-Xiao Long, who was thirteen, and Elizabeth's political career. Tai, for his part, had effectively shielded her and her sisters from the media spotlight and so for that reason the girls weren't famous but their step mother, or in Violet's case mother, was and that was an incredible cause for stress and occasional discord amongst them that seemed to only increase when Elizabeth and Qrow attempted to be cordial with each other.

"I hope that you realize that your actions tonight will not be taken lightly, young lady." Glynda said as she continued to pace. "You put yourself and others in great danger."

"They started it!" Ruby insisted, but this was ahead of her logic and she quickly realized that she wasn't helping her case.

Looking at Ruby sharply, Glynda adjusted her grip on her crop. "If it were up to me, you'd be sent home...with a pat on the back," Noticing the smile on Ruby's face, Glynda narrowed her gaze. "And a slap on the wrist." Slapping her crop down on the table in front of the fifteen year old, Glynda realized that she was still annoyed with Ozpin while Ruby let out a slight shriek of surprise. "But…there is someone here who would like to meet you."

Shifting out of the way of the door, Glynda crossed her arms as a surprised Ruby watched Ozpin come in through the faintly defined doorway in the dark room, with a mug and a plate of cookies. Sitting down in front of her with the light of the hanging lamp illuminating his face, Ozpin studied her for a moment before setting the cookies and the mug in front of her. Her scroll still in hand with the video of Ruby playing behind Ozpin, Glynda sighed and bit her lip in irritation. She already knew that if James or Emmeline or Emmett were there that they wouldn't let Ozpin do what she knew that he was about to. Though she didn't deny that Ruby was skilled and especially for her age, she also knew that the girl was still a child and one with a more than healthy impetuous streak at that. The things that Elizabeth had said about Ruby's mischief, which she was okay with for the most part, supported that and it concerned her that Ozpin was overstepping but, at the same time, she also had found that, with the amount of secrets the man had from everybody but his wife, there was a reason behind all of his choices even if she and the rest of the group disagreed with him.

"Ruby Rose…" Ozpin said, leaning in slightly to look at her face. "You...have silver eyes."

Confusion was the most prominent expression across Ruby's countenance. "Un, um…"

"So! Where did you learn to do this?" Ozpin said, gesturing with his head at Glynda's scroll that showed Ruby's fighting.

The girl stuttered. "S...Signal Academy."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow before thinking of Qrow. "They taught you to use one of the most dangerous weapons ever designed?"

Ruby nodded. "Well, one teacher in particular."

"I see…" Ozpin said, pushing the cookies towards her. Though she was hesitant at first, she, after not seeing any objections, shoved them into her mouth. "It's just that I've only seen one other scythe wielder of that skill before," Ozpin continued. "A dusty old crow…"

Mumbling through her cookies, Ruby spoke. "Oh! That's my uncle." Swallowing before wiping her mouth in embarrassment as the two adults observed her, Ruby smiled sheepishly. "Sorry. That's my uncle Qrow! He's a teacher at Signal. I was complete garbage before he took me under his wing. And now, I'm a like - hooowaah! Witchaaa!" Ruby began to pose in the karate styles that Yang had taught her while miming fighting noises in her excitement.

"So I've noticed," Ozpin said, observing her face still before Glynda realized exactly why he wanted her to start at Beacon. "And what is an adorable girl such as yourself doing at a school designed to train warriors?"

Ruby stared. "Well...I want to be a huntress."

"You want to slay monsters?" Ozpin asked though he knew the answer.

"Yeah!" Ruby exclaimed, speaking with more rapidity as her enthusiasm grew. "I only have two more years of training left at Signal! And then I'm going to apply to Beacon! You see, my sister's starting there this year, and she's trying to become a huntress, and I'm trying to become a huntress because I want to help people. My parents always taught us to help others, so I thought, 'Hey, I might as well make a career out of it!'" The girl giggled before continuing. "I mean the police are alright, but huntsman and huntresses are so much more romantic, and exciting, and cool, and really, gosh, you know!" Ruby squealed at the last part while staring at Glynda and Ozpin with a wide, maddening smile while they studied her until Ozpin spoke.

"Do you know who I am?" He asked with a faint smile.

Ruby nodded tentatively. "You're Professor Ozpin. You're the headmaster at Beacon."

Smiling, Ozpin responded. "Hello."

Ruby returned the smile in kind. "Nice to meet you."

"You want to come to my school?" Ozpin inquired of her in spite of being in full awareness of what her response would be.

"More than anything," Ruby half gushed.

Exchanging a glance with Glynda who crossed her arms and sighed irritably in disapproval, Ozpin turned back to Ruby. "Well okay."

Ruby smiled, her eyes wide and her lips slightly parted in excitement as Ozpin called Tai and Elizabeth in. Tai appeared just as excited as Ruby while Elizabeth and Glynda shared a look of knowing and slight disapproval. Although she knew that Elizabeth and Tai didn't understand the entirety of what Ozpin was doing, it angered Glynda to know that Ozpin wanted to use Ruby's abilities, the ones connected to her silver eyes, to help in the fight against Salem in the way he had with Summer Rose, whom they all recalled as being one of the first to die at the hand of Cinder Fall. That wasn't even including the fact that the group had only just learned that Qrow was Ruby's biological father which was a fact that the girl evidently was unaware of. It had nothing to do with her not being able to handle it but had everything to do with Qrow's, in Glynda's mind, incredibly selfish views for when it came to his semblance.

"Ruby," Elizabeth said, chiding her slightly as her husband and his adoptive daughter broke their embrace. "You should have known better than to go after a dangerous criminal."

"They were robbing me! They started it!" Ruby insisted as she had with Glynda. Tai ruffled her short hair affectionately in response.

"Eliza, they started it," Tai told her, echoing the fifteen year old. "Don't be hard on her, she did the right thing."

Observing the girl as she bounced, Elizabeth shook her head and rolled her eyes and thought about Violet the precedence it set for her thirteen-year-old half-sister, who was still at home with Qrow and Yang. "Oh alright."

"Yeah!" Ruby screamed in excitement, half tackling Elizabeth. "I'm so glad you're not angry with me!"

Tai laughed as he pried her off of Elizabeth and took his wife's hand. "I'm pretty sure that it's damn near impossible for us to get angry with you."

"No kidding..." Elizabeth muttered under her breath, sending Ozpin a cursory glance.

* * *

**_March 5th_**

**_Second Year Combat_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_3:52 PM_**

"Miss Ironwood?" Glynda said, looking at her youngest daughter who looked up in surprise. "Why don't you show us the technique you've been working on with your sniper?"

Sighing as she nodded and stood up while the rest of Team IGDG, better known as team engineer, watched her, Ivy swung herself down to the centre of the floor in the room. She ignored the buzzing of her scroll in her jeans. Although she wanted to see who was calling, because she knew it wasn't Grace or Genevieve or Devin since they were her teammates and were observing her, she knew better than to glance at it when she knew that her mother was strained by everything in her life at the moment. First year initiation was today and that concerned all of them. Glynda because she had overseen the beginnings of it earlier in the day and Ivy because Yang, Weiss, Sam, Matt, Annetta, Lysithea, and, apparently, Ruby all were finally going to be officially at Beacon with them. Ivy was particularly excited about introducing Sam and Weiss to Yang and Ruby, something she hadn't been able to do while they were all studying in Atlas or, in Ruby and Yang's case, Vale but her sister had expressed doubt.

Her sister wasn't there. She was at home, in Atlas, studying political science and preparing to go into law school, while their brother was finishing high school before starting college himself. Of her siblings, she was the only hunter. Ivy knew her sister would come down for the Vytal Festival, considering that it was conveniently during her summer holidays, but she couldn't help but wish she were there to talk to. Jake, too, but that was in part because she had begun to miss her brother's constant pranking and often ridiculous sense of humor.

Using her scroll to pull up the targets, Glynda took in a sharp breath as her daughter smirked, twirled her gun and knives in hand, then beginning to shoot at the stationary targets that slowly began to move. At first only focusing on shooting, Ivy remained in place before a grimm was released and she used her semblance to manipulate her body into having wings to propel her out of its path: something at which she succeeded. She flew above the grimm's charging path near the targets and began shooting the grimm around the centre of its back. She then landed on a nearby platform with force that didn't even make her flinch before she took advantage of its confusion and shot it squarely between the eyes. Her aura not particularly depleted, Ivy focused it into protecting herself as she jumped down and restore her back before looking to her mother nervously who nodded faintly before logging the information into her scroll under her file.

"Your technique has certainly improved and your fighting style is significantly more defined, Miss Ironwood," Glynda told her, still feeling a little odd at addressing her daughter in a way other than Ivy or Ives even after already having gone through a year of this.

"I've been trying, Professor Goodwitch," Ivy cockily replied.

Glynda looked to her with a raised eyebrow. "I do, however, need to speak with you after class."

"Ha," Genevieve teased, crossing her arms while turning to some of the others in the room. "Looks like Team IGDG might be in trouble again…"

"That's enough, Miss Sieben," Glynda told her with a pointed look.

"True," Genevieve agreed. "But it's also -"

Punching her in the side, Devin hushed her. "Don't be ridiculous Geni, unless you're planning on going into a life of crime."

Genevieve stuck her tongue out at him rather childishly, causing both Grace and Ivy to laugh.

"Thank you, Mister Katt," Glynda said dryly as the class let out. "And all of you, tune up your weapons before you start taking shadowing missions in the next few weeks."

Once the rest of them had left the room, Glynda sighed and motioned her daughter into her office before closing and locking the door with her crop behind them. She glanced quickly at the final information from the first year initiation that had finished during the hour. Ivy altered her hair color between a curly, lavender purple and a violently pink color that was shimmery in wait. Setting her crop down on her desk before adjusting her glasses and pacing, Glynda paused as she heard someone walk past before she crossed her arms and looked at her daughter.

"Another year…" She murmured while Ivy tapped her foot impatiently. Sighing and twisting a finger around her curled side bang, Glynda looked to her. "Your sister is perfectly fine, by the way, and the doctor renewed her antidepressant and antianxiety prescriptions. It also sounds like the semester is wrapping up well for her so she'll be coming down during her summer holidays for the Vytal Festival. She said she's planning to fly back a week out from her university classes resuming in September."

Ivy bit her lip. "Good," She said, the memory of her sister's two attempted suicides from the year before unpleasantly flooding back.

Glynda and Ivy stared at each other in silence for a moment.

"You know," Ivy finally said at an attempt at levity. "I thought it was a simple joke that the first years are launched off the cliffs," She laughed. "I hadn't realized that it was an actual thing."

Glynda smirked, a bit amused. "It wasn't my idea. If you want to blame someone then blame Ozpin."

"Like for the almost dead body under Beacon that Sam told us about," Ivy remarked under her breath, causing Glynda to raise an eyebrow though she didn't say anything, deciding to look into the matter later. "I still can't believe Emmett and Emmeline told her about that."

"What was that?" Glynda asked, unsure of what she had said. "Ivory -"

"I still can't believe that I was...brutally launched off the cliffs!" Ivy improvised. "And that Emmett and Emmeline gave Sam a heads up about it -"

"How in the living hell would Emmett know about -" Glynda started.

"Because...because I told him!" Ivy exclaimed, clasping her hands together while her mother raised an eyebrow. "And he decided to warn Sam so they could...work on her landing strategy."

Giving Ivy a suspicious look, Glynda shook her head. "Oh alright then Ivy."

* * *

**_March 9th_**

**_First Year Combat_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_Vale_**

**_2:59 PM_**

Sam sighed as she sat down next to the Cardin Winchester in the only open space in the room. The rest of her team, Team SAML, was already there and her sister was shifting nervously and sharpening his sword while Matthew, her cousin, and Annetta, her other cousin, were teasing each other with their semblances. She was a little annoyed to be late and while she admitted that it was partially her fault, it was more so her father's. Emmett had held up his eldest daughter with a call that had gone on for over an hour that her little brother had been on for a little too. She was relieved, only marginally, that the look that she had given Glynda had been enough to get her off with the shake of her head, a sigh, and probably the muttering of something about Emmett. The lecture started off normally. Dust application which was something that as an Atlesian, and particularly as a Schnee, she found remedial. Still, it took an odd turn when Ivy walked into the room with a slightly oversized file that she handed to her mother just as Glynda had begun to pull up the randomizer for a fight. Next to Samara, Cardin stood up and looked right at Glynda who sighed in irritation while glancing at her scroll.

"Professor Goodwitch, if we're going to be practicing fighting, can I fight her?" Cardin asked, pointing at Ivy who was flicking one of her knives in her hands. "I mean, I think I'm going -"

"Sit down Mister Winchester," Glynda told him sharply with a glance to Ivy. "Miss Ironwood is a second year and -"

"How old are you Ironwood?" Cardin asked, his gaze shifting to Ivy, who glared. "Well?"

"I'm twenty on September the twenty-sixth," She responded, crossing her arms "And I don't think that you can beat me in a fight. You'll probably end up bleeding on the floor and with your balls hanging from my truck as a souvenir."

"Scared, Ironwood? I guess being the General's daughter doesn't help you. Same thing can be said about the little ghost girl right here," Cardin punched Sam in the arm and she bristled at his words and touch. "You know, Samara might only be eight years old but she's killed hundreds of people, I bet."

Ivy scowled at Cardin for a brief moment. "Fine," She said with a hardened look to her mother. "I'll fight you."

To his shock, Glynda nodded and logged the fight information into the system as her daughter adjusted her handle on her sniper while Cardin pulled out his mace and smirked at her while she pursed her lips and restrained herself from taunting him or calling him out for what he had said to her despite the overwhelming urge to. Apart from being unsure of his skill level, which she admitted could exceed her own by some cruel kink of fate, she also knew who he was even if he didn't know who she was beyond being James Ironwood's daughter. He, after all, was the grandson of the famed Admiral Winchester. Curling her fingers menacingly around her knives, Ivy kept her gun hidden in one of her leg pockets while she used her semblance to give herself a long stinger. She stepped back as he stepped towards her and prepared herself for whatever could be to come.

"You know something?" Cardin began, flipping his mace in hand. "You're kind of like a little girl with an some sharpened utensils. I bet I'll be able to make you bleed or, at the very least, cry."

Ivy smirked and started laughing like a maniac, setting off a small vial of fire dust from in her pocket before flipping over him and climbing up into the rafters as quickly as she could, using the tail of her stinger to fling herself upwards.

"Where the hell did she go?" Cardin hollered, coughing as the smoke cleared. "Where -"

A well-aimed knife caught him in the ass and he screamed in pain though he wasn't hurt because of his aura, even if that took a significant loss. Seeing the residue from the dust-infused knife around him as well as the faint bit he shook off, Cardin cursed when he realized that it was gravity dust that the bitch had tried to stab him with. Angrily looking around for her, he screamed against his will when the back end of her stinger made sharp contact with his head and she reappeared from the haze with a smirk on her face while she threw a low punch and a kick to the head. He collapsed to the ground and swung his mace at her leg. Had her aura not been strong as hell, a severe gash on her leg would have been left behind rather than the bruise she later found. Jumping over him and kicking him in the face again, Ivy charged towards the other end of the arena and finally shot at him with fire dust. This quite literally blew up in his face and was the final blow required to deplete his aura. Glynda called the match and place the final results in the system, and Cardin got off the floor and glared at Ivy who swaggered towards him with her arms crossed and a smirk gracing her face.

"Mister Winchester," Glynda began sharply. "If I were you, next time I'd choose a more suitable opponent, preferably one at your level of skill."

Sure that he was out of Goodwitch's earshot, Cardin shook his head and moved closer to Ivy, grabbing her by the collar of her tight jumpsuit. She flinched in response despite herself as she restored her natural appearance. "You know what Ironwood?" He hissed. "I'm going to find something that I can hold over your head. A secret, maybe?"

"Well good luck with that," Ivy responded in a low whisper. "Because you'll have a hell of a time finding stuff on me that ain't already out there. Oh! And I suppose that your little plan fell through. Congratulations!"

He let her go, resisting the urge to slam her to the floor.

"One more thing," Ivy added, making sure everyone could hear her. "I'm a professional, sweetheart, so pay attention, maybe you'll learn something!"

She sauntered out laughing, and didn't even notice the disapproving look her mother sent her for that last remark.

* * *

**_March 17th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_5:21 PM_**

"I've got more than a few questions for the the five of you," Glynda told her almost nineteen year daughter and Team SAML as she pulled them into her office and slammed the door behind them with her semblance. "Starting with this."

Sam shifted nervously as she watched the video from her initiation where she was trying to call her sister, cousins, and then Ivy, leaving a message that mentioned the maidens. "Okay," She started nervously. "So I can explain -"

"Can you?" Glynda asked her, crossing her arms with her crop in hand. "Because I have no idea how you learned about that, let alone why you told -"

"I told Ivy – and, for full disclosure, Cate - because Lily and I needed to talk to someone other than each other and our parents about -" Sam started.

"Wait, Emmett and Emmeline told you?" Glynda demanded. "Why?"

"Why else?" Matthew shrugged. "Emmett's always been forthcoming, and he probably wore Emmeline down. He told my parents, too, and me, Natalie, Percy, Jazz, and Luna."

Glynda sighed. "Damn him," She muttered. "Emmett really does gossip like an old woman, doesn't he?"

Annetta giggled. "Hey, at least my parents were honest with us from the start! I didn't even have to tell anyone! I just waited for them to reveal they knew too!"

A heavy silence fell over them for a long moment, and no one dared to speak.

"Listen to me," Glynda finally said, softening her tone as she looked at all of them. "I'll keep this a secret between us… and Emmett, Emmeline, Karissa, Spencer, and James but you all need to not attract any attention to yourselves, at least in regard to this matter. With the way things are, I really don't want any of you to get hurt because you thought that it would be a good idea to go after Cinder or Torchwick -"

"Cinder tried to kill my mother!" Sam shouted through tears. "I have every reason to go after her, and I have every reason to -"

"I know, Sam, I know," Glynda said, feeling almost resigned. "And I know that Emmett has been attempting to track her since then, no matter what Emmeline says, but, and this is what you really need to understand, all of you are still training. Ivy's only a second year while you're all first years and, as gifted as all of you are, you're still not going to be able to take on Cinder Fall."

Sam chewed at the inside of her cheek, adjusted her glasses, and glanced to Lysithea.

"Can we at least ask some questions?" Lysithea asked quietly.

Sighing heavily and leaning against her desk, Glynda nodded. "I suppose being aware at the level you are permits you that right."

Ivy glanced to her mother warily. "Were you and daddy ever going to tell us?"

Glynda sighed. "Yes," She admitted. "When your sister comes down to see the Vytal Festival, actually, although I suppose that's no longer necessary considering that you all know."

Ivy nodded and her expression changed suddenly. "Is there really an almost dead body in the vault that's being sustained with Atlas technology?" She asked excitedly. "Was that -"

"Was that what you were really muttering the other day?" Glynda asked her, arms crossed. "The one you passed off as being irritated with getting launched off the cliffs during first year initiation?"

Ivy shrugged and ran her fingers through her natural blonde hair and shook it up. "Okay, so maybe that's true but I swear it wasn't a joke about being annoyed with the whole 'let's launch the undergraduates off the cliffs.' thing."

"I know that," Glynda told her, remembering how annoyed she had been after initiation. "And to answer your question, yes. The girl's name is Amber and she's the...current fall maiden although some of her power was stolen. She was severely injured and because of that she is being sustained by Atlas technology."

"By who?" Annetta asked, her curiosity piqued. "And why -"

"Cinder," Sam said knowingly, to which Glynda looked at her in surprise. "Daddy told me that it was possible she was trying to gain the powers of a maiden and someone so young would be an easy target for her. Gives me even more reason to kill her."

"All the more reason to burn it all to the ground, you mean," Matt quipped with a self-satisfied smirk. "Which is fitting."

"Why is that fitting?" Lysithea asked, crossing her arms.

Ivy laughed. "It's fitting because, and I'll be perfectly honest, Cinder is a pyromaniac."

"That's true," Sam admitted, shaking out her hair. "Unfortunately, and…of course that bitch is my aunt by blood."

"In every other sense she's not," Ivy pointed out, giving Sam and Lysithea a sympathetic look. "Ashlynn Schnee was your aunt and Cinder isn't Ashlynn Schnee."

Sam sighed and played with the strap of her sniper. "I know that but it's a difficult...a difficult thing for my family to deal with."

"No kidding," Matt muttered. "I think she's pulled out aunt Emmeline's slight vindictive streak too."

Lysithea kicked her cousin's shin hard and he let out a yelp of surprise before regaining his composure while the rest of them stared at him incredulously.

"No shit, dumbass," Sam remarked dryly.

Ivy, clearly distracted once more, started shifting her hair from curly to its naturally straight flow of platinum blonde.

"Hey…" She added slyly. "Mommy, who's Salem?"

"Salem controls slash creates the creatures of grimm, and, no, I don't have anything on her whereabouts. None of us do." Glynda glanced at her scroll for a moment before sighing. "Is there anything else pressing that you all want to know?"

"Who else is in the group?" Lysithea asked, bouncing a little. "I mean -"

"The...group…" Glynda sighed. "It's Ozpin, Cristal, your parents, James, myself, Rosalinde Varna, and a few others."

"So, basically, it's the heads of the academies, a few political leaders, and some of the most talented huntsman and huntresses in the world?" Ivy said, her eyes widening in excitement. "That's fucking amazing!"

"I agree," Matt said, socking her in the arm. "But you know something that's strange?"

"What's that?" Ivy asked, slightly nervous.

"A few people still think you're attractive and I think they wants you to ask him out…" Sam put in with a killer smirk.

"I...I…" Ivy spluttered, both confused and disgusted. "What the fuck, Sam?"

"Exactly," Annetta said, giggling and leaning against the wall. "What the fuck exactly."

* * *

**_March 30th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_8:21 AM_**

"Hey, Sam," Annetta said, poking at her cousin as she slowly opened her eyes and rolled over with a groan. "I think you want to get up."

"We don't have classes today," She whined and threw her pillow across the room as she reached for her glasses and looked up in surprise when she heard the scream of surprise from across the room.

"Damn it Sam! I know Emmy and I taught you to fight hard, but the fuck?" Emmett had caught the pillow in his free hand while Eddie Ciel-Schnee was clutching tightly to the other.

Happiness and surprise flowing through her, Sam was soon running to embrace her father and brother, both of whom pulled her in tightly.

"Oh!" Emmett exclaimed suddenly. "And I almost forgot to mention: how's my first kiddo?"

"Great!" Sam said, half screaming in excitement. "Oh my God, I can't believe the two of you are really here!"

"Samsie!" Edward squealed, wrapping his arms around his sister's legs while she bent down to be closer to the almost seven-year-old's height. "I missed you!"

"I missed you too Eddie," Sam said, playfully swatting at her brother's arm. "How's Atlas doing for you? How's mommy?"

"Good!" He told her with a grin. "Snow fell!"

"Well, it's Atlas," Sam replied with a smile. "Snow's bound to fall eventually, now isn't it?"

"Yeah!" Edward screamed as he took in the dorm. "But mommy's had a lot of work…"

"You know how the Council is," Emmett reminded his youngest. "Your mother is doing her best."

Lysithea sighed. "Aren't we all?"

Emmett raised an eyebrow upon seeing a rather large dictionary on her bed.

"Nice book," He teased. "Is the secret title 'big words that prove my maturity' or is it something else?"

"That was cruel and uncalled for!" Lysithea screeched, much to the amusement of Sam, Matt, Annetta, and her little brother. "There is nothing wrong with seeking to improve oneself –"

"Yeah, yeah," Annetta said, waving her hand dismissively. "You're just paranoid that people will underestimate you because you're tiny."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "That's giving her a lot of credit."

Lysithea scowled. "There's nothing wrong with wanting to kick ass."

"Okay, okay," Emmett shrugged and turned to his son. "Eddie, if I leave you here with Matt and Annetta, will you be good so I can talk to your sisters?"

He nodded. "Yep."

Matt smirked at his uncle and dragged his cousin over towards the TV. "We're going to play video games," He told him with a grin. "And it's going to be awesome!"

Emmett shook his head and laughed. "Okay then. Nothing violent."

"Okay!" Matt shouted as Emmett left the room with Sam and Lysithea.

"What is it we need to talk about?" Sam asked, confused.

"Nothing happened, did it?" Lysithea nervously added.

"What?" Emmett said, walking with them out towards Beacon's courtyard. "No, nothing happened…per se but…" Seeing Glynda tighten her grip on her crop as she noticed him, Emmett sighed. "I've done something, haven't I?"

"Emmett Arthur Schnee!" Glynda snapped, crossing her arms before dragging him and his daughters off out of earshot. "Okay, Emmett," She said, lowering her voice. "What the hell were you and Emmeline thinking, telling them about the maidens?"

Emmett exchanged a look with Sam and Lily before he shrugged. "Why do you think we told them? We didn't want to have any secrets from our kids. Eddie will know too, just when he gets old enough to fully understand."

"Of course," Glynda said, rolling her eyes. "Because that's perfectly rational."

"Oh, says the woman who married James Ironwood," Emmett said with a smirk before she slapped him, something he had expected. "You know I'm only joking, right?"

"You don't have to be such a jackass," Glynda told him, causing Sam and Lysithea to giggle. "But, then again, you've been a jackass since we were at Atlas Academy -"

"That was twenty some years ago!" Emmett exclaimed in mock indignation. "How dare you bring that up again?"

Glynda laughed. "That's your only question? You really are quite amusing sometimes, aren't you?"

"I think so," Emmett said while glancing to Sam and Lily who were still laughing. "But can you get angry with me later? I don't even care if it's in front of Ozpin, but I need to talk with my daughters."

"Okay," Glynda said, turning quickly on her heel. "Just don't blow anything to pieces."

"Blow anything to pieces?" Lysithea asked nervously, to which Emmett grinned like a maniac.

"I almost forgot about that. When I was in my last year at Atlas Academy, I blew up part of the courtyard and General Tanner got so angry about it," Emmett laughed, and then treaded his fingers through his long white waves. "Wait…what was I even talking about?"

Sam sent him a funny look and pushed up her glasses. "How are we supposed to know?"

"She's got a point," Lysithea giggled. "Come on, daddy, let's show you the best ice cream shop in town and you can try and remember that you wanted to give us some fancy jewelry…"

* * *

**_April 3rd_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Rooftop_**

**_9:34 PM_**

Ivy Ironwood-Goodwitch froze as she heard the voices of Jaune Arc and Pyrrha Nikos on the rooftop where she had been headed to relax. While she had never feared heights, she suddenly felt sick and clung tighter to the fire escape. She had an affinity for the breeze that floated across her and whipped her ever-changing hair around, but something felt wrong tonight. Shifting to listen out of habit, she kept herself as quiet as possible as she had taught herself so that not to attract attention from anyone and particularly them as she leaned into her position on the fire escape. Of all the things she had learned since she had started at Beacon thus far, she fully believed that subterfuge was the most important of all of them. Without it, she'd never get to know everyone's secrets and, without those, she had little with which to defend herself if needed.

"...Pyrrha, I know I'm going through a hard time right now, but I'm not that depressed. I can always be a farmer or something."

"...N...n...no! That's not why I brought you up here! Jaune, I know you're having a difficult time in class and that you're still not the strongest of fighters, so… I want to help you!"

"...Wh...what?"

"...We can train up here after class where no one can bother us!"

"...You think I need help?"

"...No...no! No, that's not what I meant."

"...But you just said it."

"...Jaune, everybody needs a little push from time to time. It doesn't make you any different from the rest of us. You made it to Beacon! That speaks volumes of what you're capable of!"

As Jaune's voice lowered, Ivy shifted again to hear better. "...You're wrong. I...I… don't belong here."

"...That's a terrible thing to say! Of course you do!"

"...No, I don't! I wasn't really accepted into Beacon…"

_That explains a lot, given what I heard about his abilities from Sam and Allen. _Ivy snorted, although she found herself slightly amused by the fact that he managed to get in regardless. _Still that's a fairly serious allegation…should I -_

"...Wh...what do you mean?"

Ivy felt herself getting a little annoyed as the pitch of Jaune's voice raised as he continued despite having a sister with a voice so high pitched that if she breathed helium it would rise to a pitch humans are incapable of hearing.

"...I mean I didn't go to combat school, I didn't pass any tests. I didn't earn my spot at this Academy! I lied! I got my hands on some fake transcripts, and I lied!"

"...What? But...why?"

"...Because this is what I've wanted to be! My father, my grandfather, and his father before him were all warriors! They were all heroes! I wanted to be one, too. I was just never good enough…"

"...Then let me help you!"

"...I don't want help! I don't want to be the damsel in distress! I want to be the hero!"

"...Jaune, I -"

"...I'm tired of being the loveable idiot, stuck in the tree while his friends fight for their lives! Don't you understand? If I can't do this on my own...then what good am I? Just...leave me alone. Okay?"

"...If that's what you think is best."

About to jump up onto the roof as Pyrrha left, Ivy stopped when she heard a mocking laugh and the footsteps of someone else joining Jaune on the roof. Her blood ran cold when she peeked up and realized who it had come from.

"...Oh...Jaune…" The voice said, sounding falsely kind.

"...Cardin!"

"...I couldn't help but overhear you two from my dorm room. So, you snuck into Beacon, huh? I've got to say, Jaune, I never expected you to be such a rebel!"

"...Please, Cardin, please don't tell anyone!"

"...Jaune, come on! I'd never rat on a friend like that!"

"...A...a friend?"

_Oh bullshit_. Ivy thought, rolling her eyes at Cardin's comment that she had a feeling was more than simply insincere. _Shut your fucking mouth, Cardin, you probably don't even know what that term really means._

"...Of course! We're friends now, Jauney boy! And the way I see it, as long as you're there for me when I need you, we'll be friends for a long time. That being said, I really don't have time to do those extra readings Dr. Oobleck gave us today. Think you would take care of that for me buddy? That's what I thought. Oh, and if you could pull revenge on Ironwood - who, believe me, I know her secret - for beating me in combat a few weeks ago, that would be just the ticket. I have something on her...but I'm not sure if I want to use it yet. Don't worry, Jaune: your secret's safe with me."

Hearing Cardin drop back down and shut his window, Ivy felt her blood boiling when she effortlessly climbed up onto the roof.

"Jaune," She said harshly.

"Oh, what is it Ironwood?" Jaune snapped, annoyed with having another person to deal with. "Don't -"

"I heard everything," Ivy told him, crossing her arms. "You're such an idiot, telling anyone the truth. Do you know how serious that shit is?"

"So you're going to turn me in?" Jaune demanded, not looking at her. "Because you have pretty much everything, and I'm sure that bringing someone like me down will thrill you."

Ivy scoffed. "I'm not going to tell Goodwitch, if that's what you're implying, even though I am burning to, given how irritating you are."

Jaune raised an eyebrow. "Then what are you going to do?"

Ivy smirked. "I'm going to kick your ass into shape, that's what I'm going to do."

Jaune looked at her warily but nodded, feeling that he didn't really have another choice.


	43. Welcome to the Family

**_April 2nd_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:13 PM_**

"Did I catch you?" Tai asked as he tightly wrapped his arms around Elizabeth who shrieked in surprise before laughing when she realized it was just him. "Because I think I did."

"You did," Elizabeth said, turning around resting her hands on his chest. "You've got a way, haven't you?"

"Well…" Tai said, rubbing her back. "I'm madly in love with you, in case you couldn't tell."

"It's better like this, when you don't know any better," Elizabeth's tone was faintly sarcastic and she smirked. "But I won't trade you or the girls for anything."

"Of course you wouldn't, I know that." Tai kissed her gently before a rough voice interrupted them.

"Oh, for God's sake, get out of my face if you're going to do that," Qrow said, reaching for Harbinger. "I can't stand watching this, it's so disgusting."

"Qrow!" Elizabeth snapped. "You're an adult, act like it."

"Oh…" Qrow said, putting his hands up. "An order from an Atlesian official, my mistake. See, I mistook this as an indecent public display."

"Okay, seriously Qrow," Tai said, restraining himself from laughing. "Don't be an ass."

Qrow shrugged. "Why should I change what I am? Is it because we are so honoured by the presence of an Atlesian politician, one who's so close with its current president?"

"Qrow -" Elizabeth began with a warning note to her voice though she was cut off by the younger man. "I swear to -"

"Geez, I'm just fucking with your brain," Qrow said with a laugh though all he got was a narrowed glare in return. "Seriously, is Tai the only person who can get you to loosen up?"

"Yes," Elizabeth and Tai agreed unanimously.

Qrow glared. "Why are the two of you so obnoxious sometimes?"

"Because we can be," Elizabeth replied with a smug grin. "Now don't you have a mission?"

Sighing, Qrow nodded. "Sure, but, Tai, there's something you should know."

"What's that?" He asked, laughing at how serious he sounded while pulling Elizabeth into him before stopping off of the look on Qrow's face. "You aren't leaving permanently, are you?"

"What?" Qrow hesitated for a moment in shock before shaking his head. "No, of course not. I just… I'm going to tell Ruby soon that she's my -"

"No!" Elizabeth exclaimed in horror. "Qrow, that's a horrible idea and you know it!"

"She's my child -" He angrily reminded her.

"Biologically," Elizabeth said sharply. "Tai is her father in every other sense -"

"Oh that's just -" Qrow started angrily.

"Qrow, shut up and listen to me!" Elizabeth snapped, though she knew that it wasn't going to do any good for an argument with him to get much worse than this. "In every other sense, including the legal one, Tai is her father -"

"And I hate to cut across you again, Madame Morell but I ain't Atlesian." Qrow smirked while her eyes narrowed. "And that means things are different for me than they are for you."

"Even the records state that Ruby has an unidentified biological father and states Tai as her adoptive parent. There's evidence that proves my point, and I know full well that you're not from Atlas though I thank you for reminding me of that fact." Elizabeth said, forcing her tone to perfectly even and devoid of emotion. "Do you at least understand that, as her adoptive parent, Tai is technically the only one who can divulge that information to her?"

"You mean should," Qrow said. "Because I have every right to tell her even if Tai doesn't want me to and, speaking of which, you're not even her parent which I'm pretty sure means that you don't get a say in this no matter what authority you may hold in Atlas."

Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared at him for a long moment. "Qrow," She started dangerously. "I have been Ruby's mother since the day her own died, which, all things considered, has been most of her life."

"Okay, no," Qrow said with finality. "You're her adoptive step mother and, as much as she may like you, that doesn't make you her parent."

"Qrow…" Tai said, a warning note rising is voice. "Eliza is just as much Ruby's parent as I am."

"No, she's not," Qrow told him. "She's your wife, sure, but that doesn't make her Ruby's parent in any way that counts."

"Bullshit," Tai responded fiercely. "And I really don't want you to upset Ruby so, for now, I'm going to have to agree with Eliza. At least wait until she's a little older, when she'll understand. Ruby's only fifteen, do you really think that she'll be able to cope with that well, especially when she realizes that Yang and Violet are actually her cousins?"

Qrow sighed heavily before shaking his head. "I'm not waiting until she's an adult, if that's what you're suggesting. I don't want to hurt her either, but I want her to know the truth because she deserves that much. I'm going to tell her soon enough, but only when I feel that it's right."

"Which could be any time from the end of today to three years from now," Elizabeth commented irritably. "Knowing you, that is."

"And knowing you," Qrow said, choosing to hit a nerve out of annoyance with her more than anything else. "Any time from the end of today to three years from now, you could be walking out of here because you're done with Tai."

Elizabeth gaped at him in shock before shifting out of Tai's arms to slap him. "Why you little -"

"What's so bad about me being right?" Qrow asked her, getting slapped again and regretting what he was saying when he saw the look on Tai's face. Shifting out of her way, Qrow hesitated and didn't speak for a time before he looked at both of them. "Sorry, that was going too far."

"Why do you have to be such an asshole?" Elizabeth snapped. "Why do you have to be the world's greatest -"

"Elizabeth -" Qrow started, trying to apologise.

"I don't want to hear it!" She cut across him. "Because I am not going to do that! Ever! I don't think you know how much I love Tai, how much I love my daughter -"

"I know!" Qrow snapped back, startling her. "Okay, I know!"

Elizabeth sniffed and leaned into Tai. "Then prove it..."

* * *

**_April 10th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:12 AM_**

"Ronnie, I don't like this," Rosella Katt said, pacing anxiously and fidgeting with her chiffon robe. "If by any chance Neon or Devin will be hurt by this –"

"Ella, kitten, listen to me," Ronnie said tiredly, running a hand through his mostly dark grey hair. "The two of them are going to be fine. Neon is perfectly safe at Atlas Academy and the same can be said of Devin at Beacon, regardless of the fact that they're both far younger than average. Neither of them have issues and he's basically a normal kid there at Becon, and he's on a team with Ironwood's younger daughter and Klein Sieben's kid. Why are you so concerned?"

"Because you're the Atlesian president, damn it," Rosella snapped. "I don't care that you only got elected back in November and were only instated in January after Gregory finally hit the wall. Everything you do will affect the two of them, and they are still kids!"

Ronnie went silent and stared at her for a moment. Then, by force of habit, he reached up and adjusted his glasses. Out of the corner of his eye, he briefly caught his reflection in the mirror. For the first time in years, he thought he looked his age. He looked even gaunter than usual, and he knew his eyes looked exhausted. Almost the entire morning had been spent in a meeting with the security council that seemed to drag on forever. Elizabeth Morell had returned back to Atlas from Patch following her brief vacation, and she seemed, if anything, far less relaxed than she had when she'd left back at the end of March. A tension had been forming between them since he had declared he was going to challenge Gregory for the presidency as a progressive (despite having been a vocal member of the conservative party his entire political career) that swung moderate and was willing to compromise. Elizabeth had accused him of having a lust for power, and she had been nothing short of irritated when he had become the nominee to challenge Gregory. She had admitted that she had voted for him over Gregory, but there was a bitterness behind it and they both knew it had to do with their personal history.

"I know they are," Ronnie finally said, sitting down and looking at his wife worriedly while she paced in front of the fire. "Believe me, I want them to have lives that are as normal as possible but we have to keep in mind that Neon's - legally - an adult and Devin's close enough."

"But they're still young," Rosella reminded him, pausing for a moment and then shaking her head. "I just worry for them. They've both been through enough because they're...because they're like me, and -"

"Don't think like that," Ronnie told her, perhaps more sharply than he had intended. "There has never been anything wrong with you being a faunus and our kids are -"

"The half-faunus children of the Atlesian president," Rosella said softly, tears rising in her eyes that she quickly brushed away. "They're easy targets...and so am I."

"No one is going to target you," Ronnie said with finality. "Or the kids."

"Why do you care so much?" Rosella said weakly, finally sitting down beside him and burying her face in her hands while she cried. "Didn't you only marry me because I was pregnant with Neon?"

Ronnie sighed and gently started to rub her back.

"Rosella, stop it," He said after a moment. "I love you, and the fact that you're questioning it…honestly, Ella, we wouldn't still be together if that weren't the case and you definitely wouldn't know some of the things you do, things that I may or may not have been allowed to tell you."

She glanced up and then curled tightly into him, her tail flicking sadly.

"I'm sorry," She finally said through sobs. "This has just been hard for me, especially with...with…"

Ronnie bit his lip. "We never told…"

"We still…" Rosella shook her head. "Ronnie, we still lost another baby back in February and…"

"Ella, if there were anything I could do to make you feel better, believe me, I would do it," Ronnie murmured, pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "I'm upset about what happened too, and I know this is the fifth time -"

"I just thought it was over, that we wouldn't have to go through...that we wouldn't have to deal with something like this again," Rosella glanced to her hands for a moment. "It's been over seven years since the last one, and I had...I'd hoped we wouldn't have to go through that again."

Ronnie pulled her in only closer. "I know, I thought that too. It was sudden...and it was awful for both of us."

"I should be…" Rosella bit her lip. "I can't...I'm a professor, I have to make sure Neon and Devin are alright, I -"

"You're human, El -" Ronnie paused, feeling guilty. "Ella, you're allowed to have emotions -"

"Do you honestly forget that I'm not human?" She stared at him for a moment and her eyes then widened in surprise. "You do, don't you?"

"It doesn't matter to me," Ronnie reminded her. "It never has but, more to the point, we need to work through this together...just as we have before."

"Maybe this is as bad as things will get…" She murmured weakly. "It can't get much worse, can it?"

"I doubt it," Ronnie softly said, stroking her hair. "It'll all turn around, kitten, I promise. I'm going to handle the...situations in Menagerie and Vacuo, I'm going to work with the Council to keep things safe in the kingdom. The Vytal Festival, too, will be just fine. We're already assessing possible threats and addressing them. There is nothing to fear...and, I promise, you and I will heal from this. I just hope you'll stop blaming yourself for the things people have said and done to you and the kids because it has always been their prejudice...it has never been the three of you."

Rosella sighed. "You really will fight for us, won't you?"

"My primary concern hasn't been wealth or power in a long time," He replied, gently scratching her behind her ears. "After Neon was born, that fell onto you and our children and, trust me, my resolve has not wavered. If anything...it's made me understand Emmett a heck of a lot better."

* * *

**_April 13th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:51 AM_**

_"Ooo…hi Eddie!" Twelve-year-old Samara Ciel-Schnee craned over her brother's crib and waved at him like a maniac. He, being only a year old, waved back although he wasn't quite sure why. "I'm home from school! It was boring today, but, ya know!"_

_Eleven-year-old Lysithea Ciel-Schnee sent her sister a disapproving look._

_"You're going to scare him," She told her. "He's just a baby, you know, and you're a hyper kid."_

_"Samie!" He bubbled._

_She grinned and turned to her sister, sticking out her tongue triumphantly._

_"That's right," She told him. "That's my name."_

_Emmett, who had just come up the stairs with a basket of clean laundry on his hip, poked his head into his son's small bedroom nervously._

_"What are you two doing?"_

_"Sam's trying to get Eddie to swear," Lysithea tattled with a smirk. "She's been repeating the word fuck to him for –"_

_"Fuck?" The little boy said, looking confused._

_"Nope," Emmett said, setting down the laundry and coming into the room to pick up his son. "Come on, Eddie, let's go watch some Sesame Street and stop listening to your sisters."_

_Sam and Lily glared at each other once their father's back was turned to them and he started back down the stairs._

_"What in the –" Emmeline caught herself against the wall but ended up falling into the laundry regardless. "What the hell is this doing here?"_

_"My ears don't hear complaining!" Emmett called up, barely paying attention and thinking he was responding to one of his daughters._

_"Emmett!" Emmeline shrieked. "If you –"_

_"Daddy's in trouble…" Sam snickered._

_Emmeline shot both of her daughters a sharp look._

_"Where's your brother?"_

_"What is it, Emmy?" Emmett re-appeared at the bottom of the stairs, Edward giggling in his arms. "Umm… okay, sorry about that."_

_She scowled and pulled herself out of the laundry basket._

_"I have a Council meeting in an hour," She reminded him, brushing off her uniform and slowly starting down the stairs. "But I'll be home well before dinner."_

_"That's good," Emmett replied, kissing her cheek once she was in reach. "I'm just ordering some tofu woks, nothing special. After all the papers I had to grade yesterday, I lack all motivation."_

_Emmeline sighed. "I don't care what you do, Emmett, just make sure Eddie gets his bottle on time. I have a few in the -"_

Emmett Schnee woke up suddenly, feeling something tugging at his hair.

"What is it…." He groggily asked.

"I'm scared," Eddie said, wrapping his blanket tightly around him. "I keep hearing something moving downstairs."

Emmett tensed and snatched up his glasses, slamming them on his face. He felt better realizing his wife was still calmly asleep beside him, but he couldn't shake the feeling that something was wrong. He knew it was in part because he was worried for his son, but there was something, possibly his psychitity, telling him that things were wrong. More than a few straws seemed to be out of place, and Eddie was usually a heavy sleeper, and the fact that he had woken up and thought something - or someone - was downstairs terrified him. He tried to reason that it was probably the cat. Poodles was, after all, an eighteen year old cat that had the temper of an old cat. It was entirely possible the cat had knocked a glass of water off the table or landed hard against the floor. Still, he picked up his sword just in case and slowly started down the stairs with his son hiding behind him.

It took all he had in him not to scream upon seeing the woman standing in the darkened kitchen.

"Oh, put that sword down," The amber eyed woman said silkily. "I'm just...checking this place out. Seems that you all have gotten much, much wealthier since the last time I saw you."

Emmett tightened his hand around his sword. "The last time I saw you, you were in prison for conspiracy and multiple counts of murder and attempted murder."

She scowled. "That's your wife's fault."

Emmett said nothing, his hands shaking.

"Who's this?" Cinder smirked upon seeing Eddie hiding behind Emmett. "He looks a lot like you."

"Eddie, go upstairs," Emmett told his son, whose eyes were wide in fear. "And -"

"Your son?" Cinder surmised with a smile.

Eddie ran upstairs, almost tripping on the steps, to wake up his mother.

"Yes, Eddie's my son," Emmett said teresly, eyeing his sister. "What are you doing here?"

"I just thought I would stop by," She said innocently. "Especially if -"

Emmett let out a small scream when she almost shot his hand when he reached for the landline.

"If you think that you're calling the cops on me, then you're wrong," Cinder started laughing. "You're far more likely to be bound and tethered on the floor."

Emmett was completely silent, unable to speak and pointed his sword at his sister defensively.

"What's -" Emmeline tore down the stairs but took in a sharp breath upon seeing the amber eyed woman. "My God."

"Been too long," Cinder said with a smirk. "Did your shoulder finally heal?"

Emmeline sent her a dark look. "Are you trying to get yourself thrown back in -"

"Oh, I'm not going back to jail," She tossed her hair back over her shoulder. "I've got powers, now, that the two of you can scarcely imagine."

"What?" Emmett stared at her in confusion. "You've -"

"Unfortunately, I don't have all of those powers," Cinder examined her nails, looking rather bored. "That Amber girl -"

"Amber?" Emmeline paled. "The -"

"The Fall Maiden," Cinder laughed. "Ever heard of her? I would hope so, considering that -"

Emmeline shot the floor near her sister-in-law and then shot a lightbulb overhead to seem hardcore.

"That's your warning," She told her. "If you try a damn thing -"

"So, that's how this is going to be?" Cinder rolled her eyes. "Well, in that case…"

She disappeared in a cloud of smoke and Emmett pulled Emmeline tightly into him, dropping his sword. Even once he knew she was okay and that their kids were okay, neither of them felt better. It was a living hell, and he could feel her trembling against him despite herself. Emmett wanted to cry, even while he let her cling to him and tried to comfort her. What had happened all those years before had been terrible, and it had scarred all of them. Lily and Samara were lucky to have been so little, and Eddie even more so considering that he was born years later. Yet seeing that face, knowing that she had terrified their son, and realizing that they could not hide forever was jarring. They had grown used to the peace they had known for so long. They all had.

It was then he realized that he already knew they weren't going to be getting much sleep that night after all.

* * *

**_April 17th_**

**_Beacon Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_7:13 PM_**

"So," Cristal said, eyeing her eldest critically for a moment. "What really happened the other day when you helped one of your friends hotwire a car?"

Carleigh shifted, not meeting her mother's gaze.

"Well…" She started awkwardly. "I didn't exactly help her hotwire a car."

"Yeah you did," Oliver started laughing when Carleigh sent him a mutinous look. "Leigh, come on. You did and you know it. Just like you taught her how to make poor man's liquid nitrogen out of dust cleaner."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow. "What?"

"Apparently," Cristal said, looking rather unamused but smiling faintly when Ozpin wrapped an arm around her and kissed her cheek. "Leigh's gotten into crime."

"That's an overstatement!" Carleigh protested. "It was one time, and wasn't that big a deal -"

"You helped Genevieve Sieben steal one of Jacques' cars," Cristal sharply reminded her. "A crime you're lucky the two of you didn't get pressed with charges for."

"I love that!" Thirteen-year-old Nathan Schnee declared, jumping over the small sofa in the living room of the family's (notably spacious) apartment just above their father's office in Beacon Tower. "When I'm her age, I want to be like Leigh!"

Carleigh smirked and smacked her hand against her brother's defiantly.

"I'm just glad you didn't crash the car," Annetta giggled. "That would have been a disaster."

"Let me put it this way," Cristal said, sending all four of her children a pointed look. "I never want to have to defend any of you in court, in part because I'm a ranking federal prosecutor and, in part, because the four of you should be smart enough not to end up with a criminal record."

"But some of the most enjoyable things in life aren't legal!" Carleigh countered. "Like drinking at fifteen and getting wasted!"

"Remind me how that ended, Leigh?" Cristal replied.

She suddenly looked rather awkward.

"I mean, I think the city was on its side in the distance," She said awkwardly, rubbing her neck. "But I did successfully tip a cow!"

"You didn't tip a cow," Ozpin chuckled and Cristal rolled her eyes. "You and a friend illegally snuck onto a farm while we were visiting people in southern Atlas and your brothers and Annie ended up dragging you back to the car when they realized you had gone three blocks down from where the rest of us were."

"Well, what was I supposed to do?" Carleigh said, crossing her arms. "I was bored out of my mind!"

"You also almost failed out of high school, barely got your GED, and are still living with your parents and resisting studying, instead making peanuts off of your sculptures," Cristal reminded her. "Leigh, we love you but sometimes you're difficult to handle."

"Ha," Oliver stuck his tongue out at his sister rather childishly. "I think that makes Annie look like an angel compared to you."

Carleigh scowled and stomped off to her room, snatching up her sketchbook from the table.

"You really hit a nerve," Nathan laughed. "Maybe she'll scorch your hair later."

"If you four start using your magic against each other, we're going to have to lay down more rules about it," Cristal warned them. "Alright?"

Annetta put her hands up in surrender. "I only use mine when I'm bored or fighting."

"Is that why you have those levitating orbs in your room?"" Nathan teased. "Or your enchanted wardrobe?"

Annetta turned pink. "There's nothing wrong with using a bit of my magic to give me the perfect outfit and hair every day."

"It's called being vain," Nathan replied. "And it's hilarious."

"You're being a -" Annetta started.

"I'm a pretty boy," Nathan said, much to his sister's disgust. "You know how many girls ask me out all the time?"

Annetta stared at him. "What?"

"I have to agree with her," Cristal said, laughing a little despite herself. "You all are thirteen. Where would you even go out?"

"The mall?" Nathan suggested.

"With what money?" Ozpin put in, sharing an amused look with Cristal.

"He lifts cash out of mommy's purse all the time," Oliver said, then taking a step back upon his brother sending him a dark look. "Oops."

He ran off quickly, and Annetta smirked and pulled herself up onto the counter.

"Ha," She said, winking at her little brother. "Someone's been learning from Leigh, huh?"

"Why am I not…" Cristal paused for a moment and shook her head. "No, you know what, I don't care. Unless you start doing things that are actually illegal, I'll let it go."

Nathan sighed in relief. "Great, good to know."

"Oh, a girl called for you," Annetta suddenly said.

"Really?" Nathan perked up and sprung to his feet. "Who? Was it Mercie?"

"I don't remember," Annetta smirked. "This was a few months ago."

"Alright, I have to ask, now," Cristal glanced between them. "Should I be concerned?"

Annetta shrugged. "About the rest of them, maybe. But me? I'm an angel!"

Ozpin laughed while she skipped off and Nathan stormed down to his room looking rather annoyed.

"Well," He said, tucking a stray lock of his wife's dark hair behind her ear. "They really are something, aren't they?"

Cristal smiled. "They always have been."

* * *

**_April 23rd_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_6:34 PM_**

"Oz, Cinder is going to attack Beacon, you have to act!" Emmett shouted, frustrated by the eerily calm nature of the man. "My vision -"

"Emmett, let's consider these visions for just a moment," Ozpin said, growing tense with how angry his brother-in-law had become when it came to this particular matter over the last few years. "Emmett, your visions, however accurate as some of them may have been, are not infallible. They are not perfect. And above all else, they are known to be clouded by your own emotions which quite frequently also cloud your judgement. And really, do you think that I wouldn't know if Cinder Fall herself was working with anyone to plan an attack on Beacon?"

"You don't know everything," Emmett snapped, his arms crossed. "Because my quote un-quote sister is more than just manipulative -"

"And this is an incredibly sensitive matter to you!" Ozpin said, his voice rising as he stood up while Emmeline loosely wrapped her arm around her husband's and sent Cristal and Ozpin an apologetic look. "Emmett, this is a family matter and it is one that has caused you - and all of us - more than just a bit of pain over the years!"

"Are you fucking kidding me?" Emmett shouted, slamming his fist down on Ozpin's desk. "This isn't some ridiculous -"

"Emmett!" Ozpin matched the younger man's tone almost flawlessly while he leaned on to his cane in annoyance. "You are blinded by vengeance whether or not you are willing to admit to it and you know full well and have admitted to suffering from PTSD because of what you witnessed when Cinder almost killed Emmeline, not mention the incident a few weeks ago when she surfaced after years in the shadows. I am concerned, and I know you mean well, but those things all are clouding your ability to effectively gauge the situation and your vision!"

"Oz, that is the last thing that is happening!" Emmett insisted, shouting still while his long white waves flew about. "And I can't -"

"Emmett," Emmeline said gently, looking to him pleadingly. "This isn't going to get us anywhere."

He fell silent and stared at her for a moment.

"She knows about Amber," He finally said. "And I'm almost certain she's the one that attacked her."

"I don't contest that," Cristal said tiredly, adjusting her glasses. "But we have no idea where she is now, and assuming that she's going to target Beacon could lead us vastly astray."

"It's not an assumption if it's true," Emmett said hotly.

"Emmett, you're being irrational again," Theodore, the new head of Shade Academy said, shaking his head. "Even I don't come up with schemes out of nowhere, if you -"

"Well, regardless," Emmeline said, cutting across him. "The Atlesian military is going to be here in May and we can handle the situation from there when we have more resources."

"You really think you and Ironwood bringing your army to Vale is a good idea?" Theodore pressed skeptically. "When Varna shows up here and sees that, to give you a fair warning, she's going to blow."

Emmeline sighed heavily. "It isn't our army, for one -"

"No, it isn't," Theodore agreed. "But the Atlesian Council trusts you and Ironwood the most of the seven admirals and generals, considering that the fourth admiral has yet to be appointed by Elizabeth Morell and the seven of you."

Emmeline swallowed hard. "Theodore, please, this -"

"I'm not trying to tell you how to do your job," He told her. "I am, however, reminding you that you and Ironwood are in a unique position, especially in your case. Look, I'm only here because Varna orchestrated a small coup and relinquished her position as the headmistress of Shade Academy to appear as if she was acting in the interests of the people when she's clearly trying to consolidate the rest of her power. She's already been named the prime minister for life, and, while I don't trust her, I hold her skepticism of the kingdom of Atlas. You all may be the greatest kingdom, the freest kingdom, and the -"

"That's enough," Emmett and Cristal snapped, almost in synchronization. The Schnee siblings stared at each other in surprise for a second and then he let her speak.

"You're in no position to criticize us," Cristal said, crossing her arms. "And I think you know it too."

Theodore sighed and sent Emmett a dark look. "Can you reason with your wife and teammate?"

Emmett shook his head. "After everything that's happened, we need the security."

An uncomfortable silence befell them.

"I will say this," Ozpin said shortly. "I agree that we need security, particularly with the Vytal Festival on the horizon, but we need to find a guardian...not an army. It already exists in Atlas and is going to pervade the rest of the world, but people are going to wonder that, if these are our defenses, then what is it that we honestly believe that we're preparing to fight?"

Emmett bit his lip, only marginally comforted by Emmeline setting her hand reassuringly to his shoulder.

"Maybe it has gotten personal," He said quietly. "Too personal, even."

Glynda looked at him sympathetically. "Emmett, if there's anything I can do -"

"You and James have done enough for me over the years," He said, sighing heavily. "I owe you two more than I can even say."


	44. Sparks

**_April 27th_**

**_Atlas Academy_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_1:14 PM_**

"And, then, of course –"

Emmett Schnee paused mid-sentence upon the door to the lecture hall opening and the Atlesian President stepping into the room, followed by gasps of surprise from the first and second year students who had been taking notes on the kingdom's founding. He raised an eyebrow and reached up to adjust his glasses which was a decidedly better nervous habit of his than reaching for his sword attached to his side. Ronnie and Emmett stared each other down for a moment, and the seventeen to nineteen-year olds in the room watched in anticipation. Neon, however, hid rather unceremoniously behind Cobalt and Ivori (not Ironwood Goodwitch, he reminded himself), while Flynt rolled his eyes and sighed, reaching over to pat her head. A few people had started snickering when her father had stepped into the room, and Neon found herself, rather childishly, wanting to grab a book and cover her head with it.

"If you're looking for Spencer, it's his planning and he's in the pool table room…I mean…" Emmett shifted awkwardly. "The teacher's lounge."

"I am actually here to speak to you," Ronnie replied shortly, glancing to the rather large class that was still staring at him curiously. "But, if you're busy –"

He fell silent upon the bell ringing and everyone quickly (and in disappointment, considering that it was more than clear that most of them were hoping to witness a scene) milling out except for Team FNKI.

"Neon, come on," Flynt said, slinging his trumpet over his shoulder and laughing. "Everyone else is gone now."

"I don't believe you…" She mumbled.

"Is that my daughter hiding under there?" Ronnie quietly asked Emmett, who nodded shortly.

After a moment of hesitation, Ronnie started up the steps and into their row, stopping just in front of where Ivori and Cobalt were standing with Neon crouching below them.

"Nicollette Sasha Katt," Ronnie said, sending his daughter a pointed, if amused, look. "Get out from under there, it's probably –"

"I'd rather not," She said, albeit hesitantly standing up and then holding her computer over her head. "I'm in trouble, aren't I?"

"No, nothing like that," Ronnie said, glancing to the time. "Although I'm sure your mother will go ballistic if you're late to class, so go on. I have to discuss something with Emmett."

Neon glanced to her teammates, slowly lowered her computer, and then tore off after them out of the room, slamming the door behind her.

"I worry she's embarrassed by our standing," Ronnie said after a time, descending again. "I don't understand it in the slightest –"

"That's because you were the eldest and your father's favorite," Emmett reminded him, a bit coldly. "If Emmy and Spencer are right, that is."

Ronnie sighed. "Ella tells me the same thing."

"Listen to her," Emmett told him. "I'm not about to deny that you're a good leader and a talented, charismatic speaker, and I'm not going to deny the good you've done your entire political career, but you've never seen anything in your family except for praise and –"

"That's not entirely fair –" Ronnie started.

"And you're sixty-three and trying to understand your teenage daughter," Emmett shook his head. "I can imagine that's difficult for both you and Rosella."

"Ella and I are…" Ronnie hesitated. "We're both concerned about our children, but, at the same time, Ella is preoccupied by –"

"I know," Emmett said, putting up his hands in surrender. "And, as I keep telling her, no one gives Neon trouble for being a faunus. She seems to think everyone's out to get her, Neon, and Devin, but, realistically, that's just not true. Not in this part of Atlas, anyways."

"Ella grew up in Mantle, where things have always been worse for them," Ronnie countered. "In part, I could add, because of your father."

Emmett scowled. "I was a little kid and it wasn't as if any of us were in much of a position to do a damn thing about it, now were we?"

"I'm not blaming you," Ronnie said, starting to get exasperated.

"Sounds like it," Emmett muttered.

The two exchanged irritated looks for a long moment.

"So," Emmett eventually said, crossing his arms. "Why are you here?"

"I wanted to clarify something with you regarding the Vytal Festival," Ronnie shortly informed him. "And I have a few questions for you about what you've been keeping quiet for the last…almost twenty years, isn't it?"

Emmett flinched. "I haven't been keeping anything secret regarding my –"

"Your reports might be thorough," Ronnie agreed. "But the coalition you've formed with Ozpin and your teammates?"

Emmett swore under his breath. "That's not –"

"I just want to know what you're doing so I can plan accordingly," Ronnie said as calmly as he could manage. "Especially considering that I'm going to be at the Vytal Festival and may very well have to announce that Arthur Watts' death has officially been confirmed by the CIA and that the legislature is drafting new regulations regarding transport screening considering…the incident with the stolen aircraft and the destruction of a refined Dust export in Forever Fall."

"Well, they're all going to be relieved to know Watts is actually dead," Emmett said darkly. "Considering that he seemed to blame James personally when he handed over the documents that he found regarding Watts' less than ethical experiments. What was that, eight years ago? It was just before we finally managed to kill Mancha Karine, who orchestrated the attacks back in 2001. Speaking of which, wasn't James part of that decision too? Regardless, I'm sure everyone will be glad to know that dead people are actually staying dead now."

Ronnie sent him a dark look. "Emmett—"

"Although," He went on, frowning. "I have to wonder why we haven't been looking for Adam Taurus or Sienna Kahn –"

"They are also being dealt with," Ronnie said tersely. "So far as I am aware, their locations are not discernable at this time."

Emmett sighed heavily. "If you're here because you're concerned that Kahn or Taurus are going to show up at the Vytal Festival, then you don't have anything to worry about."

"I disagree," Ronnie replied, his voice sounding rather thin. "Kahn has connections directly to Cinder Fall – whose location is also indiscernible and who is also one of the FBI's most wanted persons – and Taurus claimed responsibility for the attack on that Dust export in Forever Fall. For all we know, they could be in Vale and there is some evidence that supports that. I don't want to act if I don't have to, regardless of what certain members of the senate and commons may want, but that doesn't mean I'm blind to the concern."

"You should be asking Morell these things, not me," Emmett paused for a moment but then couldn't help but chuckle. "I'm sure you already have, but, honestly, she's a far better resource than me."

"Elizabeth is convinced that the situation is stable and in our favor," Ronnie told him. "And says that if any of them show up that she's authorized Atlesian security to arrest them on sight or shoot if necessary. I don't doubt her judgement…I just worry that the timing is too perfect…like the last time."

* * *

**_April 29th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_7:56 PM_**

Rosalinde Varna could not help but smirk and toss her hair over her shoulder with an air of sass while she stepped off the elevator and into Beacon Tower. Ozpin looked up in shock upon seeing her.

"I thought it might be nice for…diplomatic purposes if I were here ahead of the Shade kids," Varna said, sounding perfectly calm. "Especially if what I heard Atlas is planning to do is true."

Ozpin raised an eyebrow, distinctly unsettled.

"What specifically?" He finally said.

"There being an Atlesian military presence here in Vale during the Vytal Festival, for one thing," She said, her eyes betraying her annoyance for a moment. "The world already knows Atlas has a military; it's in their countries right now."

Ozpin sighed. "That decision, however much of it I agree with or don't, was made after an assessment of potential threats to security."

Varna scoffed. "That's likely."

He sent her a dark look, still annoyed with her for having spent the last meeting back in January going out of her way to upset Cristal.

"But, I suppose, I can let that go for at least a time," Rose sauntered towards him and pulled herself up onto his desk, all but dangling there precariously. "You're not someone I can be too angry with for long, all things considered."

Ozpin stood up and took a step back, even more unsettled than before.

"No," He said with finality. "If you're suggesting what I think you are, then you really have lost your –"

"I never have understood what you see in her," Rose tossed her head back and started laughing. "She is just like the rest of them: selfish, willfully blind to –"

"I have to go," Ozpin informed her, stepping into the elevator and buzzing into the apartment upstairs. "I don't trust my thirteen-year-old son to be left to his own devices for very long, after all."

Rose glared at him as the doors shut and the lift ascended. Then, irritably, she sunk into the headmaster's chair and pulled her buzzing scroll out of her pocket.

"Arthur," She snapped. "I thought I'd told you never to call this –"

The elevator doors opened again and, this time, Cristal Schnee stepped out, looking rather exhausted.

"Rosalinde?" She said, staring at her in confusion. "What are you…"

"Supposedly your youngest isn't to be trusted for long periods of time," Rose informed her, looking perfectly bored. "So I hear, at any rate."

She eyed her for a moment. "But why are you…"

"I'll be out in a minute," She told her. "I'm just taking a rather unfortunate call with the Vacuoian Council."

Cristal caught her aura briefly when the Vacuoian prime minister strutted past her and into the elevator. In that moment, she could have sworn she was about to be sick and she did not feel much better when she eventually made her way upstairs. It had been a long time since she had been so unsettled by someone's aura and it terrified her to think that the last time had been when she had last crossed paths with her estranged sister. She had brushed off then as fear that her sister knew she was the Winter Maiden and had come for her powers, but neither of them spoke a word to the other and it could have been a trick of the light. In the two years since then, Cristal had convinced herself that she had been overtired that night and had been seeing things out of fear. She tried to reason that the same applied here, that she was paranoid because of the knowledge that Cinder was on the move and potentially in Vale with some of the Fall Maiden's powers.

That was what scared her the most when the feeling did not fade, not until hours later.

* * *

**_May 3rd_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_8:45 PM_**

"You authorized this?" Cristal stared at her brother-in-law incredulously. "You authorized the motion set forth in the legislature to –"

"It is necessary for security purposes –" Ronnie started calmly.

"Shooting three of the most wanted criminals in the world on sight is not necessary for security purposes!" Cristal snapped. "For heaven's sake, it was bad enough that Eliza gave that as part of the authorization for their arrests in the case of resistance – something to be expected of them by now – but now the senate and commons want Atlas to be trigger happy too? How in the hell could you approve that when –"

"With the locations of them being up to question –" Ronnie cut through.

"Since when have their locations not been up to question?" Cristal countered. "The last time I checked, these aren't people who are particularly well-liked or respected given what they've all –"

"We don't know who might have cause to give them cover," Ronnie reminded her. "Until his death was confirmed, Arthur Watts had managed to find cover in Vacuo. Who's to say the same thing doesn't apply here with Taurus, Kahn, and Fall?"

Cristal paused for a moment and then shook her head.

"It's reckless," She said. "At the very best, this is reckless."

"Fall is supposed to be in prison for multiple life sentences," He reasoned. "The fact that she escaped makes her –"

"Sounds to me that you're not entirely convinced this was the right choice either," Cristal remarked, crossing her arms and sending him a sharp look. "Ronnie, there are about a hundred different ways that this could go badly wrong for us all."

"I know, I'm not denying that," He said, glancing out the window at the dimming city. "But I had to make a decision, and, of the options we had, this was the best. We can't not at act, and to risk even more people's lives by instigating conflict would be unthinkable."

Cristal sighed heavily, running her hand through her hair in a brief moment of thought.

"This feels a little sudden," She finally said. "But, if what you're saying is accurate, then we don't have much of a choice in the matter."

"I know why you want to wait just a little longer," Ronnie told her. "But –"

"If we don't act, we're weak," Cristal surmised, sounding a bit more irritable upon hearing the door to the apartment opening at the end of the room. "And if we act too strongly then we're going to damn –"

"Oh, come on –" Taiyang Xiao Long pushed himself between the prosecutor and the Atlesian president before sending them both a pointed look. "Not again," He said after a moment. "Just…if the two of you are about to go at it again could you have a bit of decency about it and –"

"Tai, what are you even doing here?" Cristal scowled at him. "I don't recall –"

"I just wanted to give Oz a heads up about…something that's going to cause Eliza to lose it," Tai said awkwardly. "Is he…"

"What is it?" Ozpin asked, stepping out from the kitchen. "Tai?" He paused for a moment to regain his composure. "I didn't realize you were going to be here."

"I thought I should forewarn you," Tai said, rubbing his arm. "About Eliza's…well, let's just say that she is not going to be happy to see you when she comes down from Atlas for the Vytal Festival."

Ozpin and Cristal shared a knowing look and he came over to her, wrapping an arm loosely around her.

"What is it?" Ozpin pressed. "That Elizabeth is so upset by?"

"She put the pieces together about Summer and Ruby both having silver eyes and exactly what that means," Tai told him. "Exactly what kind of danger that could put Ruby in, too."

A heavy silence fell over them for what felt to be the longest time.

"Alright, I have to ask," Ronnie finally said, sending Ozpin a look that suggested he had more than a small amount of explaining to do. "What the hell is so special about having silver eyes?"

* * *

**_May 15th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:41 PM_**

"Hey!" Matt said as he and Sun bumped fists while he walked onto Beacon Academy grounds with Neptune. "Nice to see you again!"

"Like you have no idea man!" Sun exclaimed while Neptune winked at Matt. "So, turns out you were totally right about her!"

"About who?" Neptune asked in confusion. "What girl are you talking about? Do you have a girlfriend?"

"Nah," Sun said though he thought about how attractive Blake was. "But she helped me and her team beat the shit out of Torchwick and his gang."

Neptune laughed. "Man, that's harsh."

"I know, we were fighting side by side," As he spoke, Sun grew more and more animated. "She was super fast and I threw a banana at the guy, which sounds gross, but it was awesome."

"Nice!" Neptune exclaimed while Matt laughed at the memory.

"It could have been gross," Matt said, smirking. "I mean, if Annetta had pulled out her axe and started chopping terrorists down with far too much excitement."

Ignoring that, Sun laughed. "Right? And the best part is, she's a faunus. But that's a secret, okay?"

Neptune nodded. "Got it."

Leaning in close to emphasize his point, Sun narrowed his eyes a little bit. "And not a, 'I'm going to go tell Scarlet the second Sun turns his back secret,' I'm talking secret secret."

"Whoa...chill out man, okay?" Neptune said, almost whispering. "I got it!"

"You better," Sun said as he, Matt, and Neptune watched students run out of the building and a blonde boy getting splattered into the window. "I just don't want to screw this up, you know? These people are the coolest! No offense to you guys."

Neptune laughed. "None taken."

Grandly, Sun led the way while Matt glanced at a message from Sam on his scroll. "They're just in here. I'm really excited for you to meet them. So be cool, okay? You're going to be cool, right?"

Neptune gestured to himself with his arms as he leaned. "Dude."

"Good point," Sun said, shaking his head as they entered the room where students were screaming and the majority of them ran towards the door.

"Food fight!" A girl shrieked as she ran out.

Looking at Sun and Matt in concern, Neptune found himself struggling to decide whether or not this was normal behaviour while Nora laughed atop a tower of tables that were stacked haphazardly, possibly by Ivy. In a sing song voice, Nora placed her hands on her hips and cackled once more. "I'm queen of the castle, I'm queen of the castle -"

Getting knocked off the top by a sword that swung out and then snapped perfectly back into place, Nora fell as Devin Katt, one of Ivy's teammates, appeared and smirked. "Not if I have anything to say about it, witch! Burn her at the stake!" He yelled.

Stomping her foot on a table and pointing at Team JNPR, Team SAML (minus Matt), and Team IGDG, Ruby screamed with her full power and crushed a carton of milk in her hand. "Justice will be swift! Justice will be painful! It will be delicious!"

The rest of Team RWBY joined in, raising their fists simultaneously. "Yeah!"

Laughing maniacally, Nora shouted. "Off with their heads!"

Glaring at Annetta whose legs were dangling off the tower with Lysithea and Sam standing by either side of her, Nora attempted to knock them off of it though the three girls were faster and, with the aid of Sam's semblance, all of them landed on the ground in front of Team JNPR - all of who grabbed a horde of watermelons and, deciding to take on the three Schnee girls later, began to assault Team RWBY with them while two of Ivy's teammates, Grace Wile and Genevieve Sieben, turned several cans of soda into rocket style projectiles while kicking them towards the members of both Team RWBY and Team JNPR. At the same time, Ivy grabbed an apple and shifted into a form similar to Weiss while holding the it and miming biting it before tossing at Ruby's face while she pretended to fall into a cursed sleep and her target just barely made it out of the way while Yang lifted two turkeys from the ground and applied them in a for akin to that of gloves to punch her way through the competition's unceasing watermelons.

Bounding away from the scene with her semblance while climbing up into the rafters with Devin's aid, Annetta held onto her projectiles and covertly attacked those below her, making most of her targets though Blake Belladonna dodged out of the way of one as she leapt in front of Yang and snatched two baguettes while Yang tossed her turkeys sharply towards Pyrrha though she was fast enough to get out of the firing range and took a single baguette to engage Blake while Jaune took the blows of Yang's attacks and the unseen and sudden attacks of Lysithea, Genevieve, and Devin who shifted the majority of their targets to the other members of Team RWBY and Team JNPR while Pyrrha evaded disorientation by Blake who she almost claimed victory over - and would have if Ruby hadn't knocked her backwards while Ren and Nora began to charge at the fifteen year old in retaliation though found themselves intercepted by Weiss while Nora jumped through the tables in order to grab a metal flag pole and attack a watermelon to it. It seemed Team SAML and Team IGDG were tag-teaming the rest of them.

Nora growled in irritation as she found herself hitting Ruby rather than her target, Weiss, and getting knocked unconscious by her cousin who aided Nora in throwing her against a pillar that Ruby saved her from though she began to shout dramatically in response to Weiss's quote un quote demise while Ivy giggled hysterically and found herself dangling precariously from the rafters and then proceeding to fight Blake and Yang. Ivy used her semblance to distract them long enough to get away when they started to get an upper-hand on her. Yang began to duel Ren, and Annetta tied her silk belt to one of the slanted rafters and used it to swing down while Nora and Ivy, in a joint effort with aid from a well aimed, distracting kick from Lysithea, sent Yang through the roof while Blake and Sam began to fight side by side though Pyrrha's semblance blocked their attack though Ruby outsmarted all of them but then, out of nowhere, Grace who, seeing her change her stance, disappeared and got out of the way while Ruby used her semblance to overwhelm everyone and render everyone else unconscious. Feeling a sense of pride as she smirked, none of them and much less her noticed Sun, Neptune, and Matt. Matt was laughing hysterically at his teammates though Neptune, drenched in soda, was scowling while Sun smiled.

"I love these guys." He said with a grin.

The second thing that none of them noticed was Glynda storming in angrily, swinging her crop and her heels clicking as she perfectly imitated a runway strut while they barely noticed her snapping at them after fixing the mess, her gaze lingering on Ivy who was laughing. Next to her, Annetta leaned against the wall and slid down into an almost perfect centre split though her skinny jeans prevented her from getting all the way down and she opted to slide into a relaxed, open position instead, pushing up her glasses after wiping the residue from her soda projectiles off of them and adjusting her perfectly styled purple leather jacket while Blake half tackled Yang after she crashed through the roof, much to the amusement of all of them. Sam brushed herself off, as did Lysithea and the others. Devin was flirting with Ivy, who was clearly enjoying it quite a bit, while Grace and Genevieve had started arguing over something none of them could quite understand. It was then that Cristal followed in shortly behind Ozpin, her eyes in shock though she began to laugh at the sight while Glynda let out a low sound of irritation while crossing her arms, crop in hand.

"Let it go," Ozpin told her.

Sighing heavily, she looked to him and Cristal. "They're supposed to be the defenders of the world."

"And they will be," Ozpin assured her though he dreaded the meeting he knew he was going to have with the Vytal Festival approaching so soon. "But, right now, they're still children. So why not let them play the part? After all, it isn't a role they'll have forever."

* * *

**_May 19th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_12:34 PM_**

Bitterly looking out the window as she watched the ships come in while her grip on her crop tightened, Glynda focused on her annoyance instead of how upset she was about the argument she and James had had the night before. "Ironwood certainly loves bringing his work wherever he travels."

Sighing, Ozpin shifted to look at her and trying to diplomatic though he was confused by how she was being. "Well, running an academy and a military makes him a busy man...but, yes, those are a bit of an eyesore." Looking at his desk as an access requested message showed up on his scroll, Ozpin sighed again. "Come in."

The elevator doors sliding open, Glynda retained her glare as she crossed her arms and held onto her crop while turning to face James while Ozpin turned to greet him. "Ozpin!"

Still trying to be diplomatic in spite of the tension that Ozpin could practically feel between the two of them, he smiled. "Hello, General."

"Please, drop the formalities," James said as he looked to his wife who he hadn't seen since she and Ivy had left at the start of term. "And Glynda! It has certainly been too long since we -"

Retaining her glare as she gave a personable wave for show, Glynda sighed. "Oh, James!" Glaring at both of them, she walked away. "I'll be outside."

As she left the room, James couldn't help but feel nervous as he looked to Ozpin. "Well, she hasn't changed a bit."

Arms crossed as the doors of the elevator doors closed, Glynda sighed heavily as she pushed up her glasses. Forcing herself to be perfectly confident as she strutted towards her office, her crop in hand and slamming the door behind her though she didn't lock it, Glynda blocked her emotions with anger in spite of the fact that she knew that she was denying what she was feeling to herself. She wasn't angry with him anymore and she knew that he felt terrible about having facilitated another row with her but she also wanted to cry and she was certain that that was what was making her angry. Distancing herself slightly, Glynda considered her girls and Jake in regards to their personalities and their similarities to both her and James. Caitlin, as much as she was like James in every other way, was just as sensitive as she was and Glynda personally thought that there wasn't a bone in her eldest's body that was truly sadistic though she knew that Caitlin herself would disagree. Ivy, she felt, was somewhere in between, being that Ivy was an empath but chose to ignore that and was subsequently as arrogant as James, in some circumstances, while she felt Jake was most like her despite being jocular.

Her thoughts swirling, a headache taking her over, and a sickening feeling taking her over, Glynda barely noticed as the door to her office hesitantly opened though she looked up from staring at her hands on her desk, her crop laying just beside it, as the door loudly shut.

"Glynda?"

Sighing and forcing herself to look at him, Glynda couldn't stop the overwhelming feeling of guilt that was flowing over her. "What is it, James?"

Unable to stop himself, James moved quickly over to her and pulled her tightly into him and, though she didn't say anything, she felt her eyelashes growing heavy as tears threatened at them. "Glynda, I am so sorry about last night, really, and I...are you alright?"

"All things considered, yes," Glynda said though she hated how formal she sounded. "Are you still -"

"Glynda," James whispered, kissing her forehead. "No, I'm not still angry. I...Glyns, what is all of this doing to us? This fight against Cinder, and how blatantly personal it's all become...I don't want to hurt you because I love you."

"I love you too," She murmured, leaning heavily into him while he held her securely in his arms. "I…I don't know what this is doing either…I…" Sighing deeply, Glynda held onto him tighter as she continued to fight back tears. "Is Cinder going to tear everyone's lives apart?"

"I don't know…" James said, terrified of the idea of something happening to her. "But if she tore our family apart then I...I don't know what I would do…"

"Neither do I," Glynda admitted as he pushed her slightly askew glasses back. "But when she gets caught, when she ends up back in Atlas under maximum security again...well I can imagine the interrogation that Elizabeth will personally insist on carrying out won't be pretty."

"There's a reason people on the council are afraid of her," James said with a slight smile. "She's a bit more blunt and forthcoming than they'd like."

"It's the Atlesian Council," Glynda said, rolling her eyes. "Did they expect her to coddle them or hold their hands when she became the chair of the security council? Because she has never been like that and she has the same tactics as Emmeline when dealing with the more difficult parts of the council."

"I would tend to agree with that," James said as he rubbed her back. "And I'm so sorry if I upset you."

"I shouldn't react as passionately as I do," Shaking her head, Glynda looked at him before kissing him softly and pulling him closer to her. "You're not the only one at fault when it comes to us."

"Glynda…" James murmured, caressing her cheek. "It's always my fault and you know it."

"Maybe it is or maybe it isn't," She said, taking her crop and collapsing it before re attaching it to the side of her boot. "But I still love you - even if things aren't easy."

"I love you too, Glyns," He promised, kissing her again. "And I'll never leave you unless you want me to."

"I know," Glynda said, wrapping herself tightly around him. "And I don't want you to. I love you, and I want you to stay with me."

Gently kissing her, James nodded. "And I promise I will."


	45. Faith is Shattered

_**May 19th  
_**Beacon Academy  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**10:13 AM**_**_**_**_**_

Annetta Schnee grinned mischievously and swung her silver axe over her shoulder, shaking out her dark brown curls all the while. She then activated her semblance – fortified strength – and, with far more excitement than advisable, charged at a training dummy and smacked it down on the head with so much force that it shook the bookshelf nearby. Samara and Lysithea shared a look that implied their cousin was out of her mind, whereas Matt started cracking up laughing when Annetta playfully started swinging her axe around and cheering herself on happily. Matt then activated his own semblance and ran around his cousin in hyper-speed circles to the point where she fell on her ass and kept laughing more before throwing a small ball of fire at him that scorched the top of his hair.

"Hey!" He exclaimed, catching his hat in his hand once again. "That's no fair! You're the only one on this team that has magic!"

Annetta stuck her tongue out at him. "Too bad for you!"

"You're not going to win," Lysithea warned him, twisting her long white hair in her hands. "Give up now before you have soot or dew in your hair."

Matt rolled his eyes and pulled his beanie back on over his slightly scorched hair.

"Eh," He said with a shrug. "I don't think it's that big a deal, ya know?"

Lysithea raised an eyebrow. "You don't care about your sanity or survival?"

"I care about those things plenty," He replied, setting his hands to his hips. "I just happen to care about having fun too. Something you could learn, Lily."

She scowled. "I have fun, bitch."

He started laughing. "I am a bitch, aren't I?"

"You're really going to go around calling yourself a bitch?" Samara raised an eyebrow and reached up to adjust her glasses with a smile. "Are you trying to be reminiscent of my dad?"

"Emmett's cool," Matt said, pausing for a moment to consider the notion. "Okay, so maybe I'm acting a little bit like him but, hey, at least I'm not the only kid at Beacon."

Annetta sent him a dark look. "I think Devin Katt is the youngest but that's because he's immensely talented. It's why he and Neon both started early…and, ironically, at the same time."

"Well, either way, I'm considered small and I need to make up for that with my speed and wit," Matt winked. "Does anyone in this family believe me?"

"Hell no," Lysithea said, sending him a pointed look. "You're irresponsible at best. On our first mission in a few weeks, are you going to blow things up by mistake?"

"Accidentally on purpose," Annetta corrected with a giggle. "That's what I would say, anyways."

"That's a great saying," Matt said, taking on an increasingly sarcastic tone. "You know, we should use our semblances to write shit in the sky like: we lived, bitches, come and find us!"

"Speaking of semblances…" Lysithea started, glancing to Annetta.

"Oh, here we go," Annetta muttered, pushing herself up off the floor. "Again, too."

"Well you know I've always wondered why you don't have the same semblance as the rest of us," Lysithea reminded her, and Annetta shrugged. "We're all Schnees by blood, so…"

"Mommy never unlocked her semblance," Annetta pointed out. "And since daddy has magic that all four of us also have, maybe that affected our ability to inherit it."

Lysithea considered that. "Makes sense to me."

"I want to wreak havoc on the city," Matt declared, hopping off one of the chairs. "How about we go and find some trouble to stop?"

Samara smirked. "Are you all thinking what I am?"

"Downtown near the warehouses?" Annetta suggested.

"Or near the fringes?" Lysithea put in.

Samara grinned. "I'll go pull my car around and Team SAML is going to go show this city exactly what the Ciels and the Schnees are capable of."

* * *

_**May 20th  
_**Beacon CCTS Tower  
_**Beacon Academy  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**9:35 PM**_**_**_**_**_**_

"Ozpin!" Elizabeth snapped as she stormed into the man's office while he looked at her evenly, completely unfazed. "I've got more than a few questions for you and I am not in the mood for you to play games with pretense -"

"Madame Morell, please calm down," Ozpin told her though she only narrowed her eyes as Tai came up beside her and wrapped an arm around her waist. "This isn't the time for -"

"Oh, so you're going to deny that you want to use my daughter as a weapon?" Elizabeth demanded while Tai gave her a squeeze. "Well?"

"I don't want to use Ruby as a weapon," Ozpin said truthfully. "I really don't, but I know that she's going to have to learn to fight against probably Salem herself -"

"Care to explain that to me?" Elizabeth said, her voice clipped even though she knew. "Ozpin -"

"Salem is the creator and master of grimm," Ozpin informed her though his tone made it clear that he would not elaborate. "Furthermore, she is likely the reason Cinder Fall -"

"Cinder Fall is nothing more or less than a psychopathic, power-hungry bitch," Elizabeth snapped, pushing back the memories. "And she will be castigated for her crimes."

"Yes, I know," Ozpin said evenly. "The people of Atlas and every other kingdom in the world, even the minor kingdoms, know so too - or have you not reiterated that fact every time someone has asked you about punishing Cinder after her re-capture?"

"That's perfectly irrelevant," Elizabeth told him as she wandered off to the side, struggling with her emotions. "And I should think that you ought to know that without asking me."

"Yes, and I think my question was rhetorical," Ozpin said, refusing to meet Tai's gaze. "Madame Morell, truly, I understand that this is more than just a political matter for you even as the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council."

"Do you?" She snapped, turning around with her heels clicking. "Because I don't think you do."

"You have explicitly been stated as describing brutal torture and abuse at the hand of Cinder Fall in more than one transcript of a court proceeding, let alone the statements you made to the Atlesian Department Of Justice." Ozpin reminded her and she sighed in irritation while Tai pulled her into him. "And not only that, but –"

"No," Elizabeth hissed, tears forming in her eyes though she knew it wasn't going to help to try to not cry.

"Eliza," Tai said, noticing her shaking in nervousness. "I don't like this situation with Ruby any more than you do."

"Which is why something needs to be done about it!" She exclaimed, tears escaping her against her will. "Ruby is my daughter just as much as she is yours and, even though she's not Violet, I can't bear the thought of anything happening to her - even if it is for some cause that could save humanity."

"Elizabeth, what's more important," Ozpin questioned her. "Your daughter or humanity?"

Glaring and crossing her arms, Elizabeth began to pace. "Technically, humanity should be but that's just not the case. What you don't seem to understand, Ozpin, and what I don't think you've ever understood, is that when humanity stands aligned to protect itself, some will get hurt and others won't."

"I do understand that -" He started.

"I will do everything in my power to protect Ruby and you have to remember that you're dealing with a young girl," Elizabeth said, cutting across him. "She's not an adult and she's not going to understand what you're asking her to do, what you're asking her to risk losing. And if you're going to debate this and apply cases, let me give my counterargument now."

Ozpin sighed and motioned for her to speak. "I'm listening."

Elizabeth sent him a dark look. "You better be."

* * *

_**May 24th  
_**Location: Unknown  
_**5:23 PM**_**_**_

Scoffing as she saw Cinder manipulating one of her nieces, Weiss, and her team, Salem forced her seer to show her the man she wanted to destroy. It was all his fault, all of it, and just seeing him happy made her want to snuff out the light that the older of the brother gods had worked so hard to build.

At the very least, the younger of the two could help her kill Ozpin.

She already knew that it was out of the question. Every time she had tried to force his hand, he had refused. Oh, her hatred towards Ozpin was deeply wrought and they both knew it. It was Ozpin, or Ozma, as she had known him, that was her enemy now. When he had died the first time, she had been distraught. She had been angry with him for dying, yet also willing to do whatever she deemed necessary to bring him back.

Desperation makes people do the unthinkable, after all.

So, it was not terribly long after that that she had met him. The younger of the brother gods, the one who was admittedly evil in hindsight though she knew her grief had blinded her at the time to that fact, was the one of the two who took pity on her after she had spent months at the hot springs in Solitas, freezing in the bitter cold after she got out of the spring every time, praying for them, or at the very least praying for someone, to take her hand and pull her out of the perpetual hell that she was living in. He had, and he gave her her powers though she knew that he had taken up his brother's side after he had left her and that was how they had empowered Ozma though he lost his life to her regardless. In return, as she had figured out that both brothers had decided that she needed to be defeated, the brothers forced Ozma to reincarnate into another so that he could handle her. It didn't work at first and the Queen had been exactly that beside him for so long. Then she had learned the truth and then he had tried to take their children and run. For that, she slaughtered him and, though the truth was to the contrary, blamed him for their children dying in the ashes of it as well.

It was more than just a little bit of hell to pay, especially as time had gone, but Salem now refused to give up her fight against him and she refused to let go of her desire for vengeance. It gave her something to justify what she was doing, what she had done, even if there were a tiny part of her that demanded she stop. Cinder resembled herself in many ways, and especially in that regard, and that was something that had motivated her in taking the former Schnee. Of course, that had not been without its own flaws. Roman Torchwick being one of them, although she supposed he served some usefulness. Cinder still had some ties, but the lust for power and the desire to appear strong were something that Salem had found easy to manipulate even if she had required the application of intense torture to the girl in some circumstances.

Amongst the multitude of things that she used to convince herself that Ozpin was the one in the wrong, his self-assured nature was one of them. That was followed by the fact that he failed to see any issue in misleading children into believing that their fight was only the grimm, that eventually their world would see a true peace and the fact that he put his reasons and objectives ahead of their safety. The quite literal flinging of them into the Emerald Forest as initiation at his academy was a testament to that, in her mind, followed by things such as the fact that he didn't hesitate in warning them to the possibility of death in doing so. His caring, respect, and humbleness towards people and in general, while she knew to be genuine, only angered her further because she knew it had gotten him further than her though she knew that their fight was a draw for the time being.

The group in general – especially considering how personal everything seemed to have become for all of them – was exactly what drove her mad. Salem knew full well that, now, Ozpin would do anything for his wife and would do anything to be with her and have things end in this life. Salem knew it, and she feared it. That devotion was the kind that surpassed much, and Salem was more than aware of how it changed a person. It was a new reason, but it was certainly one of the other reasons she used to justify her hatred of him was his little group. Though Leonardo was in her pocket and Rosalinde Varna was malleable, Salem knew that the group's other members would never bend to her. None of them would sell their souls to Salem while, for those to whom the fight had become personal, the others wanted revenge against them.

The Queen was confident that Emmett Schnee and Emmeline Ciel would have no qualms about killing her and Cinder in revenge for the hell Cinder had been putting their family through for the last twenty years. Qrow was in about the same line as them though for Summer Rose. Glynda Goodwitch would fight her even if it killed her while James Ironwood was just like Ciel when it came to the majority of policy decisions and his views on Salem herself. It made her angry that they were all so unbreakable and, in her rage, she shattered the mirror that she had used in training Cinder before demanding it show her the one person she hated more than anyone else.

Angering her further, nothing changed. She didn't see Ozpin. Only her own reflection stared back. Shaking as she repaired it, she more specifically commanded that it show her Ozpin and, this time it worked. The man was in his office, reading over something on his scroll, while Cristal paced, her silver heels clicking and her dark leather pants contrasting with the silver blouse she was wearing with a sapphire choker around her neck. Stopping, Cristal moved over to him and pulled him out of his chair and he set down his scroll as he took her into his arms before spinning her and suddenly pulling her into a kiss. Dismissing the images, Salem groaned and passed off the image not changing the first time as a result of it being broken, that what she had seen wasn't real. After all, she hated Ozpin and his family more than anyone else. She had no reason to hate herself above all, did she?

What the Queen didn't know was that the mirror that the older brother god had forced his brother to give her never lied.

"My...Queen…" Tyrian hissed, coming into the room. "Dr...Dr Watts would like to speak with you… supposedly now…"

Salem turned to him and glared, her eyes wide and flaring. "Tell Arthur Watts that if he's not careful I'll have his head on a plate."

Tyrian looked at her in fear for a moment before nodding. "Of...of...of course...my…my Queen…"

* * *

_**May 27th  
_**Beacon Academy  
_**City Of Vale  
_**Vale  
_**9:31 PM**_**_**_**_**_

_Always a disappointment, to me, _Nicholas had written, _I've always been more lenient with her than I should be, but I can't help it. She's innocent, regardless of my anger towards Victoria, and she means well. Whether or not that's because she wants something – typically money – is up to debate but I am only now starting to resent her. She may not know she's gone too far, but she has. That damn coat was the last straw; the hell was she thinking, buying a fur coat on her credit card for her fourteen-year-old brother? Emmett has no need for something that flamboyant; the boy usually only wears decent pants and a flannel shirt, what could he possibly wear that with?_

Cristal flipped ahead, growing sick just reading the first page she had opened to in one of her father's old notebooks. She had been hesitating to read them for years, but she was fed up with her own anxiety about it and, all things considered, she had wanted to know for long enough. So far, the entries had been as difficult to handle as she had expected. There were pages upon pages criticizing her and Willow, followed with constant, indulgent praise of Emmett. She wasn't angry with her brother for their father's affection towards him – the siblings had always been close – but she was upset by seeing just how much their father seemed to have hated her and especially Willow. It was one of the few times she had found herself grateful towards Jacques for pulling out of such a terrible circumstance, although she couldn't honestly say she liked her brother-in-law much either. She felt terrible and was trembling while she continued to slowly flip through the pages of the book. For a moment, she could feel her father beating her for exactly what he had described in the last entry she had read and it made the pain seemed new. It was only when she saw her mother's name appear again that she stopped.

_My strongest anger with regard to Cristal is towards a dead woman: her mother. Oh, Victoria tined too little care of everything she did, and she had always been coy and temperamental but I loved her. Every damn day I'm grateful to her for giving me my son, but his elder sister I cannot say the same. Even if Cristal had been the first son, she would not have been mine._

Would not have been mine. Would not have been mine. Would not have been mine. Those words reverberated through her mind and made her feel dizzy from her head through her toes.

Was it possible he had been right? She never had looked quite like the rest of her siblings, and she had always favored her mother's looks with none of her father's.

The fact that her children didn't bear the Schnee semblance seemed to be the last thought she needed before she forced herself to see the end of her father's words.

If, of course, he had really been her father.

…_Sleet, Jameson Sleet. That damn representative of the city of Mantle that I keep trying to persuade into my hands. I could use someone like that in my pocket, someone with sway there. He never will, though. I don't think he's even willing to set foot in this house after what he did. He has never seen his daughter, and, if I have anything to say about it, he never will. Oh, the bastard knows full well that Victoria's third daughter is also his – she even told me as much when the girl was born – but he is not getting anywhere near her. If it ever gets out, my image, my reputation will be ruined and –_

"Chrissy?"

Cristal flinched when she realized she had thrown the notebook at the bedroom doorway, where her husband was now standing, looking immensely concerned.

"I'm sorry…" She finally said, breaking down despite herself, with every nerve in her body tensing even when he came over and sat down on the edge of their bed next to her and pulled her tightly into him. "I wasn't trying to…I'm not…"

"What is it?" Ozpin gently murmured, giving her a reassuring squeeze. "Chrissy, if it has anything to do with the case you're working on –"

"It's not that," She said weakly. "It's not."

He was quiet for a long time, waiting for her to speak, but then he sighed.

"Your father's gone…" He reminded her softly. "He's not going to hurt you and, even if he could, you know that I would not let him…"

"He may not be," Cristal forced out, her voice shaking. "If…if what Nicholas wrote is true. I…I think I have more than a few questions for…for Senator Sleet."

Ozpin looked at her in worry and confusion. "What are you talking about, Chrissy?"

"The only page in that notebook that's folded down, it…" Cristal bit her lip as he hesitantly stood up and picked up the notebook to find the page she had been reading again. "Oz, I had no idea, I'm…I…"

He took in a sharp breath upon finishing the page and then looked to her. After a moment, he all but ran over to her and brought her into him once more, pressing a loving kiss to her forehead.

"I'm sorry…" He eventually said, cupping her cheek. "But, Chrissy, it's not your fault. Whatever the circumstances, Nicholas never had any right to harm you the way he did and –"

"Please don't," She looked to him pleadingly and then pulled off her glasses and set them aside, rubbing her eyes. "Right now…I just need some time to think…and to figure out…to figure out how the hell I'm going to address this…moving forward."


	46. Find Someone Else to Blame

**_June 3rd_**

**_Beacon Academy Library_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:13 PM_**

Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch looked at Yang before groaning. "There's going to be a dance? Are you fucking kidding me? I finish towards the top of my class during my first two semesters at university, and this is the thanks I get? A fucking -"

"Oh, come on!" Yang laughed at her expression while the older girl was adjusting her glasses and finally rested her head on the table in her arms. "It's not the end of the world. It's not like I just told you have six months to live. I know you don't like -"

"I don't like loud noises, I don't like large groups of people, and I…" Glaring at Ivy, Caitlin sighed. "I'm going to feel like a fucking hypocrite if I go to this thing."

"Why?" Yang asked, completely confused. "What's hypocritical about it?"

Ivy sat down on her the table top and began to manipulate her hair with her semblance with a smirk towards her sister. "Go on," She prompted. "Tell them."

Taking out her scroll and pulling up a photograph from a few years prior, Caitlin narrowed her eyes at Yang before showing it to her. In the image that Samara had taken, Caitlin was plastering posters up on the walls of what appeared to be an Atlesian high school that read things to the effect of "cancel the prom" and "you all have better things to do with your life than getting fucked or wasted."

"I was seventeen, because I had a late birthday and I was in Year Eleven. Ivy, Sam, Jake, Lily, and I were known for being in the most rigours classes and excelling though we were also known for being 'the freaks'. Most of the people we had classes with were from other kingdoms because their parents were diplomats or something along those lines but the Atlesians were some of the snobbiest, bitchiest, and, in my opinion, stupidest people I've ever had the misfortune of coming across."

Yang started cracking up laughing. "That's incredible."

Caitlin scowled. "It didn't help any of us that there were astigmatisms attached to us, and there were definitely a few people who pulled the whole 'Oh, the General's daughter' shit on all of us, and believe me, that's what led to Emmett exchanging some fairly nasty things with the administration. Followed by that, after all of us got fed up with the people we were surrounded by, came things like this."

Yang giggled. "You look adorable in that, you know the black leather pants and combat boots with the tight grey top and red leather jacket and your glasses. The cable knit beanie is cute too, though I've never seen you without a feather in your hair for a long time."

"My glasses, as cute as they are, aren't a fashion choice," Caitlin told her with a smirk. "As much as I love them, I legitimately need them to see."

Ivy snorted. "That's an understatement. You can't see three feet in front of you without them."

Ruby craned over to look at the image herself. "So, other than the obvious," She started. "What exactly is that?"

Caitlin sighed heavily. "Okay," She said. "So, Sam, Ivy, and I were in a fit of passion against people and it was my idea to, and I quote, 'spite them as if it's our job.' The obvious place to start was prom: something Sam and I had been vehemently against for years and incredibly vocal about while also being something Ivy was indifferent to. I tried to get permission from admin to have this be a movement, but I was sharply told no. Now, when it comes to something I want to do badly enough, that is all it takes to make me want to do it even more. So we made these posters and hung them everywhere. Long story short, we all got called in to the main office a week later and they called our parents. Since Emmett's 'just an Atlas Academy professor' they started with Sam and Lily's -"

"Who started with us and why?" Sam asked as she playfully pulled Caitlin's hair out of its bun, causing her to yelp in surprise before turning to glare at her while Sam ruffled her hair. "Seriously, what are you -"

"Year Eleven for me and Ives and Year Ten for you and Lily: the Cancel The Prom campaign," Caitlin informed her.

Sam giggled as she looked at the photograph. "Oh, yeah, I remember that. Hey, are we going to -"

"And break everyone's hearts?" Caitlin asked her with mock horror. "Never, never in a million years would I do such a thing!"

Sam laughed before sitting down next to her. "So, you were saying."

Turning back to her sister and Yang, Caitlin smirked a little before continuing. "The administration called Emmett first and he had been playing pool with Spencer because it was their planning and they were done with actual work. Emmett was surprised that they were calling him because Sam had never done anything to get herself into trouble before and they said, 'Mister Schnee, we need you to come down because your daughter is here with Caitlin and Ivory Ironwood and Emmett came down and was incredibly irritable - especially when he found out what Sam was in for - and he had a row with several administrators before slipping them a little bit of lien to get all of us out of trouble. I'm pretty sure that -"

"Glynda and James never found out," Sam finished though she started laughing. "But I wouldn't be surprised if -"

"Salutations, Yang Xiao Long!" A girl with short, curly orange hair, a pink bow, and green eyes said as she joined them. "And Ruby Rose! I thought I might be able to find you here! If I may ask, who are your companions?"

Caitlin raised an eyebrow. "Who are you?"

"Penny Polendina," The girl declared with a smile. "I'm competing in the Vytal Festival with my team from Atlas Academy." Turning to Caitlin and Ivy who exchanged a look before glancing at Sam who faintly nodded, Penny smiled. "Who are you three?"

Ivy smiled though Caitlin felt her stomach tying into knots. "Ivy Ironwood -"

"Oh!" Penny exclaimed in surprise. "You two are General Ironwood's daughters?"

Caitlin adjusted her glasses and nodded. "Yeah…hey."

"Uh, Caitlin, Ivy," Sam said nervously. "Don't we have that...uh...thing to go to? I thought that...that… oh yes, Professor…Professor Goodwitch wants to speak with us! About uh...that thing with Cardin."

Caitlin and Ivy stood up almost immediately. "We'll..." Ivy started awkwardly. "We'll talk later!"

Penny nodded excitedly before waving. "Of course!"

* * *

**_June 5th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_Transport Station_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:29 PM_**

James sighed as he looked from Ivy to Sam and then to Lysithea, all of whom were sharing a look of concern while Emmett kept a hand on his eldest daughter's shoulder. "Sam," James finally started. "My first question is how in the hell you managed to get the security clearance required to get in here because there's no way you could have obtained that legally."

Sam looked at Emmett nervously, but he nodded to tell her that she could tell the truth.

"Well," She said, shifting awkwardly. "I didn't use my security clearance because I don't have one. I used my scroll."

"That's the problem," James told her. "Because your scroll shouldn't have that clearance on it."

Laughing nervously, Sam pulled out her scroll. "Well, maybe you should ask my dad about that."

James looked at Emmett in surprise while he smirked. "Emmett, you have got to be…does Emmeline…" James shook his head and sighed upon her stepping into the room.

"What's going on?" Emmeline started, glancing hesitantly towards Emmett, Sam, and Lysithea.

"I'm pretty sure Emmett put his security credentials into Sam's scroll," James told her. "Not that I –"

"Emmett, that was ridiculously irresponsible, giving that to Sam," Emmeline sent her husband a sharp look. "And it could cost you your license as a huntsman if it ever got out. Really, you put in some of your security credentials so she could –"

"It was just so she could easily get into the house once we updated the security system," Emmett told her, putting his hands up in surrender. "I didn't realize how much information it gave her access to. Regardless, we've already told her everything about the group, and -"

"Oh, so like an android with aura by the name of Penny?" Ivy put in, refusing to be subtle and crossing her arms as anger bubbled up in her. "Because -"

"How in the hell do you know about that?" James asked her, genuinely shocked though the look on Sam's face was an answer in and of itself. "Of course."

Emmett glared. "What? So now you're going to arrest me and my daughter -"

"No," James told him with finality, causing Emmett to breathe a sigh of relief. "But you're all going to have to answer some questions in regards to the topic."

Emmett shrugged. "As long as none of us get arrested, I don't really care."

Emmeline elbowed him sharply. "I still cannot believe that you did something that irresponsible."

James sighed and turned to Sam, who nervously began to trail her fingers through her dark waves. "How many people know about this?" He asked. "Sam -"

"Me, Ivy, Caitlin, and Lily," Sam said after a moment of hesitation. "And whoever else is involved in the project for real. But we also know -"

"That's better than I expected," James muttered, pacing. "If it's just the four of you and Emmett, then I suppose -"

"James!" Glynda snapped as she came into the room, followed by Caitlin. "I've got more than a few questions for you -"

"And my wife, apparently," James added, looking to Emmett who was restraining himself from laughing. "Look, I can explain -"

"Then you damn right better," Glynda said, crossing her arms with her crop in hand. "Because I -"

"I pushed back against the project more than once," James assured her, his voice tired, and she sighed. "We all did, but the Department Of Scientific Advancement And Ethical Oversight overruled us as well as the Department Of Justice, the Department Of Local And National Law Enforcement, and the Department Of Foreign Affairs And Military Action. Anemone Jansen and Crystal Watson-Winchester in particular were very much for the project and specifically for the making of the -"

"Android with an aura?" Glynda suggested dryly. "That's completely unethical -"

"I know that, and I expressed the view that there was no need for the creation of an android with an aura but -"

"She's competing in the Vytal Festival as a student from Atlas Academy, isn't she?" Glynda demanded while they all looked at her nervously. "Ozpin doesn't know about this, does he?"

James sighed. "Of course he doesn't know. Do you honestly think that, after how reluctant he was to use Atlas technology to sustain Amber, he would approve? Hell, even Cristal doesn't know and she really ought to, considering that -"

"I get it," Glynda sighed. "I'm not happy about it, but I understand it."

Though he knew that she was upset, James moved over towards her and pulled her into him, his hands resting over her cape.

"Glynda," He said gently. "I would have told you if it weren't classified, I really would have. But no one besides the people in this room can hear about this because of that. I'm not reporting this...but this has to stay quiet."

"I know," Glynda admitted quietly. "But that doesn't negate the fact that it's wrong."

"I agree," James told her before looking at the girls. "But I can't change it. Speaking of which, how much do you three know?"

Caitlin, Ivy, and Sam exchanged a look before Caitlin sighed. "Well, we know about the maidens, Salem, and Ozpin being the man with -"

James looked at them incredulously. "You all know about that -"

Glancing towards Emmeline before running his fingers through his long, white waves with one hand and taking hers tightly in his with the other, Emmett tried to collect his thoughts as he cut across him.

"Nevermind that," He said. "They already know and were going to regardless. With the android, though, James, do you think a line has been crossed, ethically?"

"Yes," He told him severely. "Which was why I tried to have the project closed."

"Fuck Jansen and Watson-Winchester," Emmett said bitterly. "Maybe if they had just listened to the security council this wouldn't be the literal hell that it is."

Ivy looked to both Glynda and James before sighing.

"Can we all go now?" She begged. "Since we're not in trouble?"

Glynda nodded but sent her a sharp look. "We're not discussing this any further."

Ivy glanced at her nails before shrugging. "Eh, that's not really much of an issue. You know, considering that if something goes wrong -"

"Such as…" Glynda questioned, raising an eyebrow. "Ivy, apart from the obvious which would her being discovered as an android, what could -"

"Well, she's competing in the tournament, isn't she?" Ivy said and James nodded. "Well then if Penny gets destroyed or -"

"The chances of that happening are incredibly low," Emmett said, almost laughing. "Ivy, we're talking about something designed in Atlas. I'm pretty sure that, sentient or not, that Penny will fine."

"I have to agree," Emmeline put in tiredly. "It's not going to become an issue."

"I hope so," Caitlin said, muttering as she crossed her arms and her gaze traveled to her feet. "Oh, and that's the least of my current….social concerns."

James looked at her in surprise. "Would that have anything to do with the campaign that you, Ivy, and Sam and Lily ran during Year Eleven?"

Lysithea groaned in frustration. "Sam and I were in Year Ten!"

"So what?" Ivy said, before punching the younger girl in the arm. "That doesn't change anything."

James sighed. "Caitlin -"

"It'll make me a fucking hypocrite!" She exclaimed, then sighing heavily. "And it seems like all of this is heading to one conclusion…all of this has begun because of that damn spark and, given what we know…I believe we may have already lost all hope and chances for peace."

* * *

**_June 13th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:24 PM_**

"Cristal Schnee?" Senator Jameson Sleet took a step back in surprise. "What are you doing here?"

She stared at him for a moment in disbelief and then caught a brief glimpse of herself in the window glass at the other side of the senator's spacious office.

"Forty-five years," Cristal finally said, not meeting his gaze for a moment, tapping her fingers against the bookshelf near the door. "You have had all forty-five years of my life to tell me the truth and you never have. Hell, you may not even admit to it now…dad."

Sleet suddenly looked rather nervous and ran a hand through his mostly grey hair.

"How did you find out?" He eventually said. "I thought Nicholas and Victoria had never –"

"I found it in one of his notebooks," She told him, crossing her arms. "But I suppose it makes sense. I've never looked like my…like Nicholas and –"

"Let me ask you this," He said, feeling more guilty than he ever had. "Were you better off not knowing?"

Cristal shook her head. "I'm a lawyer, Sleet, and I find solace in facts…in the truth."

"I should have figured," He said, sighing heavily. "I'm sorry, Cristal, I can't even begin to imagine how difficult this must be for you."

"I'm not surprised that my mother...well, she and I were never close," She chewed at the inside of her cheek for a moment in thought. "I was more surprised that...that he never told me."

"Nicholas should have told you, yes, and I'm surprised that he didn't, if I'm being honest," Sleet let out a short, dry laugh. "I suppose, though, in his own way, he did."

"It explains why he always…" Cristal cut herself off. "Never mind."

Sleet eyed her for a moment and then awkwardly embraced her for a few seconds.

"Whatever you went through because of him, it was never your fault," He said gently. "And I'm sorry that I put such a burden on you."

* * *

**_June 16th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:18 PM_**

"Caitlin, I swear, you aren't a hypocrite." Ivy said through the bathroom door. "Now show us the fucking dress!"

"Or I'll come in and tear it off of you!" Sam declared, giggling as the Caitlin opened the door angrily, pushed up her glasses, and stalked out. "Damn..." She started. "You look gorgeous."

The eldest Ironwood-Goodwitch was in a form fitting dress that showed her hourglass figure. There was a feather headband with sequin tassels that hung down past her glasses. The dress itself was a perfect fit for her and was black, yet sparkling and distinctly reminiscent of the 1920s. She was wearing black heeled boots that were three inches high and had silver swirls going up the side while her pale hair was in a low, side ponytail with a sparkling decorative comb placed a little bit above it. Her lipstick was a dark, shimmering purple that worked even against her incredibly pale skin and hair. Sending Sam an irritable look, Caitlin collapsed down on the bed while Ivy laughed and pulled on her own dress, which was a long, indigo coloured dress with a long piece of black velvet wrapped multiple times around the waist. The shoulders were lacy and resembled leaves against her arms while her heels were strappy and open toed. Sam herself was also in her dress, which she had, still unknown to Emmett and Emmeline, 'stolen' from her mother's closet.

"I'm nervous too..." Caitlin admitted quietly, standing up and staring at herself disdainfully in the mirror. "Every day, it seems something else is horribly amiss."

"I know..." Sam said, her stomach tying into knots. "Sorry. I'm just…"

"Hey..." Caitlin said as she pulled Sam into a tight embrace. "It's going to be alright...hopefully."

"At least you're honest," Sam said, the sickening feeling still not leaving. "You tell me the truth even when I don't want to hear it."

"Sorry?" Caitlin said, unsure of how to respond. "I mean, if it's true, it shouldn't matter if someone wants to hear it or -"

Impulsively, Sam shifted the little she needed to in Caitlin's arms to kiss her. Surprised, Caitlin didn't quite know how to respond at first but soon kissed her back and drew Sam closer to her while the younger woman's hands slowly trailed down her back and rested low on her waist. Unlike any of her previous relationships, this was natural. It was also consuming and passionate, her tongue and Sam's fighting for dominance while, for the current moment, the room faded away and it was only the two of them. Her fingers wrapped tightly around Sam's long, thick dark hair and she melted into the feeling of Sam's soft lips against her own though, as she broke the kiss, she couldn't help but feel a little embarrassed that she had let her emotions take the lead over her mind.

"Uh...Sam -"

Ivy cleared her throat loudly while Yang and Blake, who both Caitlin and Sam assumed came in some time during their embrace, giggled and played with Ivy's hair. "So...when did the two of you get involved."

Caitlin turned a furious pink. "I...I…"

"We're not...uh...um...involved," Sam said though she looked at Caitlin hesitantly when she said it. "I mean, uh, unless you want to be."

Looking at Sam in surprise, Caitlin nodded hesitantly. "Yes, we're involved."

Throwing her arms around Caitlin and causing her to lose balance and almost fall over, Sam kissed her deeply again. "Really?"

Caitlin nodded, though this time with more force. "Yes."

"Hey, Sam…" Emmett said as he came into the room though he looked at her in surprise and put his scroll away. "Uh...Sam, what's -"

Embarrassed, Sam pulled herself off of Caitlin who trying to hide her face. "Please don't get angry with me."

Emmett gave her another look of surprise before pulling her into a hug and then letting her sit down while he paced.

"Sam," He finally said. "There are no circumstances under which I could get angry with you. So: what is it? Because -"

"Caitlin and I are involved," Sam squeaked and Yang started giggling furiously. "Um, and -"

Emmett started laughing. "You know what?" He said with a smirk. "Emmy and I should have known. Speaking of which…" Emmett turned to Caitlin, adjusting his glasses and winking. "What decade do you think you live in, again?"

She grinned with a sparkly glint in her bright green eyes.

"The 20s, of course," She replied. "It's '21, after all."

* * *

**_June 29th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_9:13 PM_**

"Uh...so are we in trouble?" Ivy asked and Ozpin looked at her sharply.

"No," He said with a heavy sigh. "But, because of what you know, I want you to consider something. First, do you know about what happened to Amber?"

Ivy didn't respond but Caitlin did. "Yeah," She said darkly. "She was attacked by Cinder and part of her powers were stolen. Too bad no one was able to strike the bitch down."

"We don't know for certain if she was attacked by Cinder," Ozpin told her. "But yes, she was attacked, is currently comatose and is barely sustained by Atlas technology, and part of her powers as the fall maiden were stolen."

Caitlin looked at him inquisitively though Glynda, Emmeline, and Emmett felt sick. After exchanging a brief glance with Cristal, her cape fluttered as she placed a hand on her daughter's shoulder protectively after pulling out her crop.

"No," Glynda told him, her nails digging into Caitlin's shoulder. "Absolutely not. I'd sooner die than let you do that to either of them."

Emmett nodded, his face in horror. "Not Sam. Not Lily. Not Caitlin. Not Ivy."

Ozpin sighed. "None of you even know what I was going to say."

"Then say it," Emmeline challenged him, her voice taking on a bitter edge. "Say it."

"Caitlin, would you be willing to take on the powers of the fall maiden?" Ozpin said slowly and the girl's eyes widened in shock while she adjusted her glasses. "Caitlin?"

"How?" She asked, fearful of what the process would entail. "I can't kill her, I -"

"Amber would die, yes," Cristal admitted, letting Ozpin pull her a little closer. "But we would transfer her aura to which her powers are bound into you which...which could have unknown effects on you."

"That's completely unethical, not to mention disturbing on so many levels!" Caitlin exclaimed, her bright green eyes blazing. "I can't even -"

"The feeling is mutual," Glynda assured her bitterly while she Emmett and Emmeline looked at Ozpin. "But it's a step of desperation because if Cinder really was the one who attacked her -"

Emmeline scoffed. "Even if she wasn't, whoever stole part of her powers isn't anyone we want with them."

Ozpin looked to Ivy. "Ivy?"

Ivy hesitated, looking at her mother and twin sister before sighing heavily, her voice quivering as she spoke. "I'll do it."

"No!" Glynda snapped, horrified by the prospect. "No! You aren't doing that, Ivy I don't care how noble you think doing so is, I won't risk my own daughter for this! It's selfish, but I can't!"

"Glynda –" Cristal started, still struggling herself to come to terms with the situation.

"Absolutely not!" Glynda told him, her tone indicating that that was final. "It's not happening, and I don't care what I have to do to ensure that. Find another guardian, because it's not going to be either of my girls."

"Or mine," Emmett said, tears and bitterness finally escaping him. "You won't let your girls do it, so why are you asking us?"

"I…I don't know," Ozpin sighed heavily again, sharing a worried look with his wife. "Then I suppose we need to find our guardian."


	47. Breathe You In, Breathe You Out

**_June 2nd_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_11:17 PM_**

"Glynda," James said, trying to gentle as he gave up on trying to dance. "What's bothering you?"

Her eyes widened and she looked at him in surprise before sighing.

"Ozpin found out that the girls know about the maidens and whatnot," She quietly admitted. "And he tried to convince Caitlin or Ivy to take on the powers of the Fall Maiden."

"No," James said, horrified by the idea. "No, he can't do that."

"That's exactly what I told him," Glynda said, shaking slightly. "And he even suggested the idea of it being Sam or Lily to Emmeline and Emmett."

"Which I imagine went over well with them," James commented, knowing how protective of their daughters the Ciel-Schnees were. "What did they do to him?"

"Snapped at him and told him that they're never going to let anyone transfer the powers to them," Glynda told him, her nerves still making her sick. "Caitlin was horrified by the idea of taking Amber's powers – particularly because of the way it would have to be done - but Ivy said she would."

"What?" James said, pulling her into him more tightly in response to the tears that were rising in her eyes in spite of herself. "No, she can't!"

"I told him that, actually…" Glynda said quietly. "Emmeline and Emmett did as well but he tried to counter that it's Ivy's decision. He and Cristal eventually caved but… I wish Ozpin hadn't suggested the idea in the first place. It's just...I know it's selfish, but I can't…especially knowing that they would never let their kids try it either."

"It's not selfish," James promised her though he knew she didn't believe him. "Glynda, she's our daughter and the Ciel-Schnees are basically family. Of course you wouldn't let the girls or Sam get pushed into that position just like I wouldn't, and just like Emmeline and Emmett wouldn't."

"I know," Glynda conceded with a heavy sigh. "But -"

The room suddenly fell silent upon the Atlesian President, Ronnie Ciel, and his wife stepping in. He looked even thinner than before, and it almost seemed that something was destroying him from the inside out. The low light only served to emphasize how gaunt the man had become. Rosella, by his side, while she looked a little better off, seemed to have her face permanently stitched into a small frown of consternation. Rosalinde Varna, Vacuo's Prime Minister, turned around in surprise upon someone whispering to her and she sent the Atlesians a dark look. Ronnie's expression did not change, and he inclined his head slightly towards her in cordial respect, stone-faced all the while. Rosella kept her arm looped in his and, in a moment of sudden anxiety, tried to hide her tail. There were murmurs starting to rise, the party was starting once more, and Ronnie and Rosella tried to fade into the background as they stepped aside with Ozpin and Cristal, beginning to speak in low tones that no one could overhear.

"You know?" Yang said from above as the music started again, leaning on a handrail while Ruby did so too. Yang then reached over and took Blake's hand tightly in hers. "I think we really needed this."

From their distance, they could see that girl, Penny Polendina, was near two Atlas Soldiers while dancing with her eyes closed and a smile on her face. At the same time, Sam was dragging Caitlin away from the side and pulling her tightly into her arms before kissing her deeply. Pulling away in embarrassment, a blush rose in Caitlin's pale cheeks though she didn't stop Sam when she kissed her cheek and gently adjusted her partner's round glasses. On the other side of the room, Glynda and James were leaning into each other and evidently discussing something and Cristal was half curled into Ozpin until he spun her and she began to laugh while Edward Ciel-Schnee was being carefully watched by Emmett and Emmeline, who were never more than a few feet away from him, although Emmett started to laugh when Edward noticed his eldest sister and Caitlin. He ran over to them while Sam smiled and, with an arm wrapped around her partner, messed up her brother's hair and caused him to start laughing like mad.

"Yeah!" Ruby said, looking to her sister. "And you did a great job planning it too!"

Reaching over to her sister and crushing her in a one-armed hug that caused Blake to laugh while the younger girl flailed frantically, Yang smiled. "Aw, thanks!" She declared. "It wasn't all me, though, Weiss did a lot too!"

Stopping her struggle and looking at Weiss, Ruby couldn't help but wish that she had asked Weiss to the event when Neptune, who was sitting next to her, hadn't. "I wish she -"

"Tomorrow it's back to work," Yang said with a sigh, not hearing that her sister had started to speak.

Ruby smiled though she was still thinking about Weiss. "I'm sure we can handle whatever gets thrown at us…" Trailing off as a sudden fit of laughter and giggles drew the attention of the three to below, Ruby herself began to laugh a little. "Except for that."

"Holy shit!" Ivy Ironwood-Goodwitch exclaimed suddenly, laughing harder than they had expected her to be able to. "Is that...that...Jaune...Jaune Arc?"

Below, Pyrrha had turned around in surprise to see Jaune in a white dress with a blue ribbon that cinched his waist. "Jaune?"

"Eh," Jaune said smiling at her. "A promise is a promise."

At first, Pyrrha only smiled at him before she started to giggle, followed by hearty laughter. "Jaune! You didn't have to!"

"Hey, an Arc never goes back 0n his word," Jaune said, extending his hand to Pyrrha. "Now, do you want to stand there and laugh at me or do you want to dance?"

Offering her own hand, Pyrrha smiled. "I would love to dance."

"I stand by my initial assessment of him," Glynda said, looking at James who was restraining himself from laughing. "Jaune might need more than just a little bit of help. It's still beyond me that he got into Beacon, considering his combat abilities which, admittedly, have improved somewhat."

James kissed her forehead gently. "I have to wonder that myself."

A moment passed in silence between them, and then they saw their eldest happily dancing with her partner.

"I'm really happy for her," Glynda murmured, watching her eldest daughter being pulled to the side by Sam after handing the Ciel-Schnee her heels and doing a double pirouette followed by her left calypso on the floor while the others began to join in. "It seems to me like, maybe, she's finally found someone that isn't going to hurt her. I think what happened with the last three was that she grew emotionally attached them and in love but struggled with the fact that they were only hurting her. Sam...Sam isn't going to hurt her…I think she really does love her."

James nodded. "And they both understand what it's like to be a complicated person and, beyond that, they know each other so well…"

"Where's Sam going?" Edward Ciel-Schnee suddenly asked his parents, who were beside James and Glynda, pointing towards the open door. "Is there anything out there beyond the city?"

Emmett glanced towards his daughter and Caitlin skeptically as they followed Ruby who, having first made her way to the exit, was also walking out of the dance into the chill air of the night. A sudden flash from the clothing of a woman on one of the rooftops made his heart drop and the way that Sam drew Caitlin closer while the Ironwood-Goodwitch seemed suddenly startled, suddenly afraid. It was then he recalled having seen a woman like the one passing on the rooftops and, peculiar as this passing was, it occurred to him that Ashlynn had worn clothing like that on more than one occasion. The scared look he shared with his wife was all he needed to confirm his fears, especially after what Lysithea had said the day before about her being there. Lily had sworn she was here and had even described the aunt she had never known nor seen with perfect clarity.

The type of clarity one could never get from a photograph.

"Shit," Emmett muttered.

He all but ran out of the room with Emmeline following closely behind him after, presumably, getting Glynda and James to watch their seven-year-old son.

* * *

**_June 3rd_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:01 AM_**

"Cinder…" Sam hissed upon seeing the masked woman standing on the steps of the Cross Continental Transmit System Tower. "That's her, I know it is. Even in a mask, well there's -"

"Sam," Ruby whispered nervously. "We don't know that for sure."

Caitlin shook her head and snorted. "Yes Ruby, because when a woman is dressed as a cat burglar harlot it's perfectly normal." Turning to Sam, though, she sighed. "I have a feeling that Emmett and Emmeline would know better than us, even though you'd recognize her under most circumstances. Didn't she try to kill him almost twenty years ago at Haven Academy?"

Sam blew on her stray hair and pushed up her glasses. "I mean, yeah, but I don't want him to worry more than he already does. Just the idea of Cinder being here, for either of them, would be -"

"Shh…" Caitlin said as she saw the woman press her fingers up against her ear. "Shh…"

As they slowly shifted closer, they began to make out what she was saying and Caitlin felt her stomach tying into knots as a sinking feeling took over not only her but Sam as well.

"I'll keep my eye on the clock."

After gracefully jumping off of the roof, the woman quietly approached one of the armed guards in Atlas uniform. Out of fear, Sam took Caitlin's hand and squeezed it tighter as the woman knife handed the back of his head and he fell unconscious with a glazed, stunned grin on his face.

"...Excuse me, no one's allowed in this area."

Based on the clicking of what appeared to be glass heels, Caitlin cursed, knowing that the woman wasn't listening to the Atlesian soldier. Assuming this was Cinder, that was no surprise even though the soldier shouted at her again and the sound of him opening fire was enough for them to know that the woman hadn't paid him heed. A loud crash was heard and, as she poked her head from behind the spire that she was hiding behind, Caitlin tensed when she saw the woman overpower him and take out another soldier that was approaching. As soon as she shot the one, she threw the first one against a handrail and, though two more soldiers advanced on her quickly with batons in hand, the woman forged a pair of glossy dark glass blades in her hands with fire Dust and trounced them both with a smirk. Even behind the mask, seeing her summon, fire Dust or not, was enough to confirm to Caitlin that this was Cinder.

Outside of the building, Sam had already summoned her weapon to her while Ruby was dialing for hers and, as the two of them approached and saw the first guard, Ruby gasped and pressed the final number in for her weapon locker that crashed into the courtyard and opened to reveal her Crescent Rose. Sam tightened her hands around her weapon and tried to strengthen her resolve, but it was with trepidation. The one thing she was afraid of was that the woman was going to hurt Caitlin and while she didn't want Cinder to hurt anyone, she especially didn't want Cinder to hurt six people in particular: Emmett, her father, Emmeline, her mother, Lysithea, her baby sister, Eddie, her baby brother, and Caitlin, her partner. Looking at Ruby before nodding, Sam began to walk into the building as calmly as possible, ready to fight.

Shortly before that, however, and following the former Schnee after using her semblance to vanish, clear like glass, Caitlin cursed her semblance for not working on her personal sight though she knew that when Cinder looked at her that she couldn't see anyone there which allowed her to breathe a sigh of temporary relief. She was no huntress, and she was no fighter and never had been. She had only unlocked her semblance by mistake after years of emotional and personal struggle which caused her to genuinely vanish from sight in front of people. It had explained a lot from her days before university, especially the darker days after what had happened when she was fourteen and the pain it had inflicted on her. That pain had not faded, but she had mastered her semblance to give herself back some of the control that the abuse she had faced at the hands of her first girlfriend had caused.

Not to mention the fact that her semblance had saved her life just a year before when her then-boyfriend had come after her, ready to kill.

It was a matter that was scantily discussed at home, and Glynda and James had done their best to help their eldest move on by reminding her that not everything was her fault or that not every criticism was directed towards her. Their daughter was only half-aware of it, but they both felt guilty for what had happened because they hadn't known what was going on until it was almost too late. They hadn't realized she was seeing someone who had worn her down, someone who had convinced her that she needed them to survive, and they hadn't realized how severe the extent of the emotional and verbal abuse towards their daughter had been until the very end. They had gone through every message between their daughter and her girlfriend (who had been, as it happened, significantly older than her) and saw her being blamed for the woman's hangovers, for her life, for her situation, and called any number of horrible things. It had been hard for all of them to take, but it had shaken the Ironwood-Goodwitch family to the core. Jake Ironwood-Goodwitch hadn't known the full extent of what had happened, but he was acutely aware that something had done serious damage to his sister. Ivy had become ferociously defensive of her twin, and Glynda and James had pulled their eldest even closer than before, something she had accepted even though she blamed herself. It had forever changed her, and she had been too damn young and had made a mistake.

Caitlin shook herself out, hating herself, briefly, for dwelling on something that she had, for the most part, kept dangerously close to her chest, and it was in that moment she slipped out of the elevator, still invisible, behind Cinder. The woman paused, for a moment, and bent down to pick up a scroll that one of the guards that she had knocked unconscious had dropped.

"Oh!" The sorceress exclaimed as she examined one of the guard's scrolls before pocketing it. "That's handy."

Caitlin cursed under her breath once again when she heard Cinder talking with someone over her earbud whilst she continued to move towards one of the nearby control consoles.

"...A party guest is leaving."

An irritably sighing, Cinder replied. "Which one?"

Another voice came through, a male one. "I guess the General's had enough fun for one night… Emmett Schnee and Ciel too..."

Caitlin's eyes went wide as she saw the familiar Red Queen chess piece appear on a computer screen after a random code. Her stomach sank even further, recognizing the image from the broadcast that the Atlesian Council had found Cinder guilty of transmitting after she had escaped prison and gone off the grid back in late 2007. It was a well-known call sign of the sorceress, and it scared her despite everything. Forcing herself to listen through clenched fists as the elevator doors began to open again, Caitlin hid, and prayed she wouldn't be found.

"...Should we intervene?" The voice from the sorceress' scroll asked.

The others computer monitors lit up and Cinder shook her head and began to walk away. "No..." She said. "We're done here."

Caitlin returned to visibility upon seeing Ruby and Sam and Lysithea step out of the elevator themselves.

Ruby began to investigate although she stumbled in result of her high heeled shoes. "Hello?" She called with Lily and Sam on each side. "Is anyone there? Hello?"

Cinder began to step out towards Ruby who continued in confusion while she flared her eyes at her nieces. Both girls flinched in recognition.

"Samara! Lysithea!" Cinder exclaimed with a haunting laugh and a smirk. "How are you parents? Are they still –"

"Excuse me?" Ruby said, speaking more confidently this time now her balance was regained. "You know, it's not a masquerade party, so why don't you take off that -"

To the surprise of all three girls, Cinder pulled out a container of ice Dust and begun to send shards of ice towards the girls but more specifically Ruby. Once they were deflected, she summoned several pieces of glass and directed them at Sam though Ruby shot the pieces before they could make contact and both Caitlin and Lysithea, suddenly and impulsively, broke into a run to tackle Cinder but weren't fast enough and tripped over each other as the brief altercation with Cinder stopped suddenly on the appearance of Ironwood stepping out of the nearby elevator with Emmett and Emmeline. What did happen, however, was that the knife Caitlin had taken from Ivy flew out of her hand so quickly that, even though she couldn't tackle her, the knife wernt clean into the sorceress' side. She shrieked in anger, turned to try and kill the eldest of Ironwood's kids, but saw Emmeline as the general readied herself to fire her shotgun. Terrified, the sorceress disappeared in a cloud of smoke almost as quickly as she arrived. Emmett cursed upon the realization that his sister had gotten away and the looks on the faces of the girls was enough to confirm that, especially Ruby when her face lost all relief when she noticed Cinder's disappearance.

"Sam!" Emmett exclaimed, as his daughter got up and brushed the dirt off of her dress. Embracing her, Emmett felt the familiar fear for his family rising in him while James pulled his shaking daughter back. "Sam," Emmett began gently upon seeing the tears in her eyes. "Was that -"

"Cinder," Sam said bitterly though her voice was weak. "Cinder was here and -"

"You don't have to go any further," Emmeline told her although James sent her a pointed look. "James, if you press her for details, I swear to god -"

"Cate?" James said and she pushed her glasses and sighed.

"It was Cinder," She said, fixing her askew glasses. "If it weren't for her appearance, we all saw her Red Queen symbol."

"What?" James asked, glancing around in confusion before seeing Ruby's nervousness. "All four of you: we'll be discussing this matter further later."

The clock chimed midnight, and Emmett scowled at it before he reached over and took his wife's hand tightly in his, comforted only when he felt her squeeze it back.

* * *

**_June 3rd_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:17 PM_**

"Well," Cristal said, sharing a knowing look with Ozpin. "I think it was definitely a good idea for us to handle this as a legal proceeding. All of their stories aligned perfectly, and they didn't even know what we were going to ask them."

"So, then," Emmeline said, pacing. "It seems we were right to be concerned from the beginning."

Emmett sighed as he remembered some of the things Sam and Lily had left out. "Well, yes," He agreed, glancing to her for a moment. "But that's not the point. The point is, we have to act, we have more than enough evidence."

Irritably, James shook his head and angrily slammed his fist against Ozpin's desk. "They were here…" He muttered, still terrified by the possibility that his eldest's life would be threatened again. "Ozpin, they were here!"

"We're very much aware of that, thank you James!" Glynda snapped, crossing her arms with her crop tightly in hand. She too, was scared but also too stubborn to let him win.

"Fantastic! You're aware!" James said, forcing himself to meet her narrowing gaze. "Now, are we going to do something about it, or should we just stay the course and continue to ignore what's right in front of us?"

"Okay, smart ass," Cristal snapped. "If you think that because we know she's in the area that we'll be able to catch and incarcerate her after looking for her for over ten years because she managed to escape maximum security prison, then go ahead! You and Emmeline might as well –"

"He's right, Cristal," Emmeline snapped back at her sister-in-law. "Our entire security system could be at risk, especially if the Red Queen virus has re-entered the Atlesian system through Beacon."

The prosecutor took a small step back, pausing for a moment to consider the facts again.

"I'm not contesting the evidence," She finally said. "What I'm contesting is the notion that we have to go after this now when we have a million other security concerns to handle, not the least of which is the presence of the Vacuoian Prime Minister at Beacon at the same time as the Atlesian President – with whom her relationship is contentious at best – and especially so soon after she forced the entirety of the leaders of all other executive offices in Vacuo to resign!"

Ozpin stood up and gently wrapped an arm loosely around her, sensing her anxiety.

"We can't justify seeking out Cinder right now without raising suspicion," He reminded them, and James and Emmeline scowled at each other for a moment. "All three of you are involved, to some extent, in Atlesian politics through the DFAMA. Tell me: how do you think Karissa will be able to justify this? Or Ronnie, too, considering that any actions taken would reflect back on the Atlesian President?"

Emmett suddenly looked rather awkward. "Well…" He said, rubbing his neck. "She's got a several million lien bounty on her head and any leads…"

"Karissa could defend that," James finished for him, glancing towards Glynda who only crossed her arms and tightened her hand around her crop. "She's had to handle much worse in the last two years since she became the head of the DFAMA."

"On the other hand, it could go…badly askew quickly," Emmeline shook her head. "If we're not careful with how we present this, it could go over about as well as the situation in Vert."

"Which has only gotten worse," Emmett admitted. "Especially since…"

"Then what are we supposed to do?" James shook his head. "We can't do nothing, but if –"

"Come in," Ozpin said, never more grateful for the alert that signified Ruby's arrival.

Nervously stepping into the room, Ruby began to explain herself quickly and rubbed her neck. "Sorry it took so long. Someone accidentally hit all of the buttons on the elevator on the way up..." She glanced awkwardly at them. "It wasn't me."

Emmett snorted. "Funny, Ruby."

"Thank you for coming, Ruby," Ozpin said, briefly sending a sharp glare to Emmett who childishly stuck out his tongue despite his wife elbowing him. "How are you feeling?"

"Okay, I guess," The hooded girl replied nervously. "I'd feel better if my bad guy catching record wasn't oh for three."

Cristal, Ozpin, Emmett, Emmeline, Glynda, and James stared at her silently; the prosecutor and her sister-in-law both raised an eyebrow.

"Okay…" Ruby said, her nerves retained. "So that's the tone we're going for, got it."

"Ruby, I feel it's appropriate to let you know that I think what you did last night is exactly what being a Huntress is all about," James told her, sympathetically placing a hand on her shoulder. "You recognized a threat, you took action, and you did the very best you could."

Ruby nodded. "Thank you, sir."

"And you weren't reckless," Cristal added, thinking first of how Caitlin had managed to (quite literally) throw a knife into the sorceress. "Which is especially important, considering what we may potentially be facing here."

Ozpin nodded shortly. "Now," He said, turning back to Ruby as he sat down and Cristal set a hand to his shoulder. "The Generals here have already informed us of the events that...transpired last night, but, now that you've rested, we were wondering if you had anything to add."

"Was anyone else with her?" Glynda asked her quickly, gauging the tumult that the girl's emotions were blatantly expressing to her empathic abilities. "Did she look familiar to you at all?"

Ruby sighed, worried by Lysithea's confidence of the woman being Cinder. "I...I don't know. She was wearing a mask, and she never said anything to me."

"What about Lysithea or Samara?" James put in, leaning back against Ozpin's desk. "Or Cate? Or did this woman not speak full stop?"

Ruby bit her lip. "She called Lily and Sam by their full names, and she asked about General Ciel and Emmett, but –"

"That's her," Emmett and Cristal said simultaneously, then turning abruptly towards each other in surprise.

"What did she fight with?" Cristal said after a moment of trepidation, fidgeting anxiously with her glasses with one hand and the other one steading herself against Ozpin.

Ruby swallowed hard. "I know she fought with glass. I don't think that was her semblance, though. Her clothing lit up whenever she attacked."

Shifting her crop in hand, Glynda shared a look with Emmett, Emmeline, Cristal, and James that implied that she believed the Schnee siblings' assessment.

"Save for the glass," She said slowly. "That sounds like the woman I fought the night we met Ruby."

"Embedding Dust into clothing is an age-old technique," James reminded her, though he knew he was leaning in the same direction she was. "It could have been anyone. A sick joke, even."

"Fair," Cristal conceded. "But, based on that evidence, it's more than likely that it was her."

Ruby's eyes widened in surprise. "Wait..." She said in shock. "You think this girl is connected to Torchwick and the White Fang? Or that she really is…"

"It's possible," Ozpin told her. "But we still lack the required evidence to link the two together beyond the strong possibility of her identity."

Ruby shook a little. "Actually," She added on. "I… I think I remember her saying something about a hideout, or something, in the southeast. Just outside the kingdom."

Ozpin looked at her, understanding her subtle implication. "Interesting."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "I thought you said the intruder never -"

"Thank you for your cooperation, Ruby," Ozpin told her, not letting Glynda continue. "Why don't you go and spend some time with your team? You have a big day ahead of you."

"Any time," Ruby said, skipping a little as she began to leave.

"And Miss Rose," Ozpin said seriously, knowing she likely wouldn't listen. "Please try and be… discreet about this matter."

The girl nodded. "Yes sir."

As soon as she left, Emmeline started pacing again, swearing as she tried to work through some of her thoughts out loud. Emmett rubbed forehead in consternation, and Cristal, after a few minutes of low murmuring with Ozpin, pulled out her scroll and began to go through some of the files relating to the White Fang. Ozpin, too, began to read over files. It was far more tense than usual for them, especially given how close they all were, but it was unavoidable. Emmeline was beyond irritable, Emmett was now more on edge than before, and Cristal was caught somewhere between anger, anxiety, and exasperation. As it happened, Ozpin was the calmest per usual but they were all soon distracted by Glynda and James resuming their argument. As James leaned against the window and looked at her, she adjusted her glasses before crossing her arms with her crop tightly in hand.

"Well there we have it," James told them though he was only looking at his wife. "We send as many troops as we can to the southeast, find out exactly what's going on, and eradicate any forces that stand in our way."

Glynda looked distinctly annoyed and swung her crop as she let out an a small noise of frustration. "Why must your answer to everything involve a triumphant display of military bravado!" She snapped, continuing though he flinched slightly. "You treat every situation like it's a contest of measuring dicks -"

"Glynda!" Ozpin said sharply, turning towards them.

Sharing a look with James and folding her arms across her chest, Glynda mumbled. "Well he does."

Emmett laughed despite the severity. "You've always thought that, nothing has changed."

"But she's right," Ozpin told James who shook his head in frustration while leaning into the window. "As much as I too would love to end this situation once and for all, we must remember that this may go beyond Vale, beyond Beacon. And if this is truly some master plan for which we know not the final move, we mustn't me so bold. Nor can we risk the spread of panic."

James felt his patience snapping though it didn't stop him. "I have served you faithfully for years… but if you mean to tell me that your plan is to really hold the defenses and wait -"

"It is not!" Ozpin exclaimed as he stood up. "You're a general, James. So tell me, when you prepare to go to war, which do you send in first? The flag bearers, or the scouts?"

Emmeline glared. "Quit playing games with us, Oz. You know just as well as we do that -"

"He may be right," Emmett said quietly, and she turned to him in surprise. "Maybe we're being reckless, and maybe this has become…all too personal."

Another difficult silence befell them and, it seemed the matter was closed. It was less than a minute later, though, that another beep was heard and Ozpin opened the elevator doors to Elizabeth Morell and Taiyang Xiao Long, the latter of whom was anxiously following his noticeably angered wife.

"Care to explain what happened last night, Ozpin?" The chair of the Atlesian National Security Council demanded.

The man sighed. "Madame Morell -"

"No, don't even pull that on me." Elizabeth told him. "I was in Patch with Violet and Tai this weekend because I could be and this, this is what my daughter sends me at four in the morning."

Examining the photograph of Cinder that had clearly been taken by Lysithea and evidently sent to Ruby, Ozpin sighed. "I'm not quite sure if -"

"That's Cinder Fall!" Elizabeth exclaimed in exasperation. "I don't care how far away it is, I don't care that it's night, and I don't care that the bitch is on the fucking roof! I know that that is Cinder Fall!"

"Eliza," Tai said, wrapping an arm around her waist and giving her a small squeeze which caused her to relax marginally. "It's going to be alright…"

"No, it's not!" She snapped. "Not if she's still -"

"Eliza, baby, I promise it's going to fine...or at least that it will be for us," Tai told her, pulling her in and pressing a gentle kiss to her forehead. "Eliza -"

Elizabeth sighed and turned back to Ozpin. "I have a meeting with the council tomorrow, and I need you to do something about this...and it damn right better not turn my daughter into a weapon."

Wearily, Ozpin nodded, resting his head against his hand. "Of course, Madame Morell."


	48. All We Have to Lose

**_June 13th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:37 PM_**

Sighing, as she woke up from yet another nightmare, Glynda sighed and shoved her glasses back on before she went over to the window and noticed that James was looking out into the City Of Vale from the landing docks of Beacon Academy. Knowing that it was going to be several hours before she fell back asleep, Glynda pulled on her tights, skirt, blouse, cape, and boots before she slipped out. Quietly closing the door and locking it with her scroll, Glynda slowly made her way down to the docks. Though it was late at night, there were still a few airships hovering over the brightly lit buildings of the city and she slowed when she knew he'd be able to hear her.

"Trouble sleeping?"

James turned in surprise and looked at her with a hand on his shoulder. "Arm was acting up."

Sighing, Glynda shifted so that she was at his side. "Of course, so, logically, you got out of bed, dressed yourself completely, and decided to gaze menacingly out into the distance." Looking at him in concern, she trailed her fingers through her side bang. "What's wrong?"

A moment passed in which he didn't respond but, when he did, he was hesitant.

"I've trusted him for years, we both have," He said tiredly. I just… I can't help but feel...like he's keeping us in the dark."

Glynda scoffed. "Don't be ridiculous. You know very well that we are not the ones in the dark."

"That makes it worse!" James laughed humorlessly. "I refuse to believe that a man that I've trusted for so long would act so...passively."

Another beat went by in silence as she placed her hand reassuringly on his shoulder. "You're a good person, James. You've always done what you think is best for the people, even against strong protest. It's admirable. But...it's high time you stopped talking about trust...and started showing it." Glynda sighed, dropping her hand as the two of them stared into the distance. "Ozpin has experience that the rest of us lack...and I think that's something worth remembering."

Turning to look at her, James nodded. "You're probably right...but at the same time, with everything that has come back around to..."

"I know," Glynda said, feeling tired. "And it does bother me that Ozpin doesn't seem to be recognizing the real threat that Cinder poses. I'm honestly not sure if he believes Emmett or if he thinks that he's still just paranoid."

"Of course he's paranoid, though," James said, knowing how important Emmeline was and had always been to their teammate. "That isn't why he's giving that information. He's not vengeful, he wants her locked but because he knows that she's dangerous and he doesn't want anyone else to suffer at her hand."

Glynda nodded. "And he's never been a terrible father, no matter what he has to say about the matter or how he's processed what happened with Ashlynn. Their son's going to have the most normal childhood he can, while Lysithea and Sam aren't nearly as hell bent on revenge against their aunt as they could be, considering how much they know."

"I think Caitlin's helping Sam with that too," James said, gently wrapping an arm around her waist. "Apart from how happy they've been, it seems like she's helping her with seeing justice as justice and not seeing vengeance as justice."

"I agree," Glynda told him as she leaned into his embrace. "And I'm just relieved that they're happy. Ivy too, of course."

Hesitantly, James shifted to bring his mouth down on hers in a passionate kiss.

"I love you, Glyns." He murmured, cupping her cheek.

"I love you too." Glynda said softly as she wrapped herself around him. "James -"

"Glynda Catherine Goodwitch…" James said, pulling her closer. "We've been married over twenty years and, since we got married, I love you just as much as I did then as I do now."

"I know," Glynda said, leaning into him and closing her eyes. "I just wish that...Jamie I'm sorry about what happened the other day."

James shifted to look at her in surprise. "Glynda, it wasn't your fault. I wasn't be entirely rational because I wanted the situation that had been established dealt with right then and there. That's not your fault, it's mine."

"I shouldn't have snapped at you," She countered and he sighed. "That only makes things harder for us and usually it leads to a row of sorts and -"

"That doesn't make it your fault," He told her and she glared as she adjusted her glasses. "Really, it doesn't."

Glynda shifted her weight to her side before letting him hold her tightly. "It seems the majority of the time when we have row or just start arguing in general, it's because of me."

"No, it's not," James promised her, kissing her again. "Because neither of us have much patience and I tend to react just as strongly as you do. That's not your fault."

Glynda didn't respond for a moment before she shook her head. "I know things have never been easy between us but I feel like it's my fault most of the time and then sometimes yours. And I know that since the fight against Salem turned into...turned into whatever it is now that we've been more divided."

"I know, I can feel it too," James said as he tightened his arms around her. "And I know that it's not been easier on any of us but we're trying."

"I'm scared though," Glynda admitted quietly, embarrassed that she was even a little afraid. "It almost seems like someone's about to make a play and I…"

"I'm scared too, Glyns, you're not alone," James said, her soft hair gently brushing over the neurotransmitter that controlled his right side. "I'm right here, I've got you, and it's going to be alright."

"I hope so…" She softly replied. "For all of our sakes."

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_Mountain Glenn_**

**_2:07 AM_**

Eyes opening hazily to a terrible thudding in her head, Ruby could also feel two strong hands on her arms and, as the room came into focus, she could tell that they were the same two White Fang Guards who had caught her. As far as she could tell, they were dragging her through what seemed to be an underground city, albeit a fairly desolate one. The place smelt of not only grease and rusting metal but of cigar smoke, something that drew her nerves up even further, considering that she associated that smell with Roman Torchwick. However, in spite of the desolation, there were many members of the White Fang clearly at work. One was piloting an Atlesian Paladin in order to lift some of the large shipping containers and others were doing more manual lifting. Making a mental note to, should she survive, tell Elizabeth about the stolen machinery, she found herself temporarily distracted as the two guards stopped dragging her and another nearby drops a large, ominous looking device.

"Hey!" A guard shouted to the one who had dropped the machine. "Be careful! What are you trying to do, blow us to the moon?"

The guard replied quickly. "Sorry sir!"

"Hey boss!" One of the guards who had dragged her started. "Found something you might want to see!"

From inside of one of the rail cars, the last voice she wanted to hear replied. "Is it good or bad, Perry? Because let me tell you, I have had a day…"

The guard Perry looked at her in confusion while fear began to rise in her. "Uh...it's a little girl?"

Leaning out of the doorway with a cigar in hand, Roman sighed in irritation as he looked at her with his slanted green eyes narrowed. "That would be bad."

Flicking his cigar to the side while the guard, Perry, and his accomplice dragged her once more so that she would be facing their boss while he climbed down from the car with Melodic Cudgel in hand. Slowly moving towards her, Roman bent down to the ground and lifted her head with his finger before reaching for another cigar and swearing when he realized that he had left his lighter in the train car. Glaring at Ruby and assessing her appearance, Roman smirked when he realized that, in spite of her gothic clothing and large red cape, she didn't have her high caliber sniper scythe or whatever the hell that thing that she enjoyed swinging around was. Motioning for Perry and his accomplice to leave, Roman held Melodic Cudgel in hand and threw the girl across the floor multiple times before hitting her with his cane a few times before tossing her once more across the dirt and filth of the underground city and laughing.

"Wow!" Roman exclaimed through his laughter. "You are much more manageable without that oversized gardening tool of yours."

Angrily, the girl pushed herself off up the floor and began to charge at him which he sidestepped effortlessly and, with the aid of Melodic Cudgel, sent her stumbling across the floor once more before continuing to laugh.

"Oh man… you know, Perry, I really did need this."

From behind him, the guard Perry raised his thumb in agreement while the maniacal laughter continued. Walking over towards Ruby once more, Roman aimed Melodic Cudgel at her while continuing. "But seriously...how'd you find this place, Red?"

Using her semblance to escape the sadistic man, Ruby let out a faint noise of anger before making a run for any form of an exit. Temporarily, this distracted him as he looked around in shock, the feeling of being startled taking him over, however he quickly saw her come back into focus. Smiling as he stood up, Roman spun Melodic Cudgel in his hands and aimed his handle at Ruby. Firing it at the girl as if it was a grappling hook, Roman caught her by her the hood of her cape and drew her back towards him while grasping it angrily once she was in his reach and shifting Melodic Cudgel back into one hand while glaring heavily at her, a part of him ready to shoot her right then and there.

"I see you've got some tricks up your sleeve!" He exclaimed dryly. "Let me make this clear: We're not through here yet!"

From the distance, what sounded to be a massive explosion went off and Roman cursed under his breath as he looked up and dropped Ruby. "Oh, what the...Perry if you and the boys could take care of that? Kind of in the middle of something…"

Nodding, Perry ran off with several others to investigate just as another one sounded and Roman cursed again with his annoyance seeping into his voice as he began to demand answers once again. "What is going on here?"

With the loud sound of a third explosion ringing through the caverns, multiple members of the White Fang came running around the corner with some of them firing at an undefined enemy that slowly came into Ruby's view with relief settling in her when she realized who they were. Seeing Weiss, Blake, Yang, Dr. Oobleck, and even Zwei running around the corner, Ruby began to attempt at escape again. His annoyance clear while she took advantage of the moment, Roman cursed once more as she jumped on his shoulders and pulled his hat down over his eyes before she ran as quickly as she could muster towards them while Roman began to shout once again as he glared at her and adjusted his hat again before he and several members of the White Fang began to open fire on her though she managed to dodge it.

"Somebody kill her!" Roman shouted before angrily turning to closest member of the White Fang to him. "Attach this cart and spread the word: we're starting the train."

The man protested. "But...we're not finished!"

Using Melodic Cudgel to pin the man against the wall, Roman snarled angrily. "Do it, or you're finished!"

Realizing that she was running into a large group of White Fang members, Ruby stopped though a large explosion caught them by surprise and, as they were flung, Yang reveled behind them before her 'sister' jumped into her arms. "Ruby!"

"Are you okay?" Weiss asked her, looking at her in concern before Ruby let herself out of Yang's arms and hesitantly kissed the white-haired girl. "Ruby…"

Ruby smiled sheepishly and rubbed her arm. "I'm fine, I'm fine! But listen, Torchwick's got all kinds of weapons and robots down there!"

Blake looked at her in shock as she handed the younger girl Crescent Rose. "What?"

"Androids, mechs," Ruby told them, having recognized the Atlesian technologies. "They're all loaded up on the train cars!"

Oobleck shook his head and began with his infamously hyperactive speech. "Ahhhh...that's ridiculous! These tunnels are sealed, the tracks lead to a dead end!"

The speaker system screeched ominously as Roman began over it and the train began towards the tunnels. "Get to your places, we are leaving now!"

Yang shook nervously before turning to Oobleck, her hand tightening around Blake's. "Well it sounds like they're going somewhere!"

Ruby looked to Yang and nodded in agreement. "We need backup. Let me call Jaune…"

Yang nodded as she pulled out her own scroll and tried to call Elizabeth, knowing that she would have a better idea of how to deal with the Atlas machinery. "Damn it!"

"I can't get through!" Ruby exclaimed while Yang cursed again when her call died just as Elizabeth answered.

"Motherfucker," Yang muttered though Weiss gave her a disdainful look. "Oh, now's not the time to be a priss Miss Schnee."

Weiss crossed her arms before looking to Ruby. "So what do we do?"

"I believe we only have one option…" Oobleck began though Ruby finished as she looked at the oncoming train.

"We're stopping that train!"

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:12 AM_**

Groaning as her scroll went off, Elizabeth Morell glanced at the Caller ID, expecting it to be Ronnie or someone else who was angry with her for her support of the current investigations though she looked at it in surprise when she realized it was Yang. Attempting to answer it as quickly as possible, Elizabeth sighed when her scroll declared that the call was lost due to poor signal on Yang's end. Setting it aside, Elizabeth looked over at Tai who was still sleeping before she carefully pulled herself out of bed and went down the hall to make sure Violet hadn't snuck out (again). To her relief, the thirteen year old was sleeping peacefully and everything seemed to be fine. Although she wanted to try and fall back asleep, her mind kept racing with questions as to why Yang was calling her at three in the morning and, eventually, she decided that she just needed to relax. Quietly making her way downstairs, Elizabeth flicked on the lights in the kitchen and flinched at how bright they were before going out into the garage to grab one of her bottles of vodka and have a shot or two before going back to sleep. Pulling out a shot glass, she closed her eyes for a moment before she shifted to set it down on the counter where a thin piece of paper was laying. Irritably sighing, Elizabeth set down the glass and picked up the note and shook as she read it.

_Traitor. That plea deal you made all those years ago before you got any of this is still going to bite you in the ass because you will pay. Emmeline Ciel and that whole damn family deserve to die and so do you. So, if I were you, I would watch my back, Elizabeth Morell. Tell Ironwood's girl that too._

_\- C. A. Fall_

Setting the note back on the counter, Elizabeth found herself shaking before she recalled the anger in Cinder's eyes when she had turned her in and revealed the plans that the sadist had made. Then there was the self satisfied smirk that she had worn when she had told of her plot to kill the Ciels. Not only that, but the new evidence to suggest that Cinder had managed to sneak into Beacon was almost too jarring to consider. Unable to think, Elizabeth fell against the wall and screamed against her will - something that actually woke up Tai though thankfully not their teenage daughter. Running down the stairs, Tai looked at her in fear as he saw her curling into herself and he ran over to her and pulled her into him before helping her up onto her feet.

"Eliza…" Tai murmured before he noticed the note and read over it. "Oh Eliza, she's just trying to scare us…"

"No, no she's not," Elizabeth told him, shaking still. "She knows exactly what she's doing and she… she wants to hurt us…"

"Baby," Tai said, kissing her forehead. "It's going to be fine. Even if we have to get extra security, it will be fine."

"Extra security won't help a damn thing…" Elizabeth said weakly and Tai sighed, pulling her tighter as he began to help her upstairs. "Tai -"

"It will," He promised, although his worry still remained. "Eliza...is something else bothering you?"

Hesitantly, Elizabeth nodded. "Yang tried to call me about an hour ago and...and it didn't go through because of poor signal on her end."

Tai didn't respond for a moment before he sighed. "She'll be alright."

"Tai, she could be anywhere in Vale and if she's calling me that early in the morning then something's wrong!" Elizabeth declared, falling into him and starting to cry as he closed the door to their room so that they wouldn't wake their rambunctious teenage daughter. "I'm going to Vale tomorrow - I'll be on the first flight out because if something happened to our daughter -"

"Eliza," Tai started as gently as possible while rubbing her back. "If something happened to her, don't you think that Ozpin would have sent something?"

"Ozpin?" Elizabeth asked, irritated at the thought. "Tai, since when does the man do much more than come up with asinine plans that -"

"Eliza, he's not stupid," Tai told her, while she curled into him. "At the very least he would express concern."

"Since when has he done even that?" Elizabeth challenged and Tai sighed, knowing that she was not completely off. "He won't even handle the situation with the White Fang and Cinder properly!"

"But Vale isn't Atlas," Tai reminded her and she groaned in frustration. "Eliza, you know that."

"Of course I know that," She snapped. "Because I haven't been subjected to more than one meeting with Valerian officials who think that I'm nothing more than a snobby Atlesian politician who has nothing but the very best her entire life! Sometimes, I feel like even you think that!"

"Eliza!' Tai exclaimed in shock. "Eliza, I don't think that! I -"

"Yes you do!" Elizabeth sobbed, collapsing into their bed and burying her face in a pillow. "Tai, I...I…I don't even know if...if…"

"Elizabeth," Tai said gently, sitting down next to her and rubbing her back while she continued to cry. "Eliza, I don't think you're snobby. I don't think you're a bitch, and I sure as hell don't think that you've had everything you've ever wanted. I know those things aren't true and I...I want you to be happy and I want you to know that I love you. Remember what I said to you on our wedding day?"

Elizabeth shifted and nodded weakly, her normally faint freckles sharply defined by the rouge of her cheeks and the drying tears on them. Her dark hair was a mess and it was sticking up in strange places even after she tried in vain to force them down with her fingers. "You said, 'Elizabeth Lily Morell, I know that things are difficult for you but I love you and, come hell or high water, I'll do everything in my power to protect you and make you happy.'"

Tai nodded and kissed her lips gently, just barely brushing them with his own. "And I meant that."

"But what about Raven?" Elizabeth demanded, crying again and angry for letting herself be irrational. "Your ex-wife, the one who abandoned you and your daughter -"

"Eliza, I don't love Raven," Tai assured her, patting her back. "She had her good qualities and was magnetic which was probably why I fell for her but at the end of the day she had a number of faults that not only led to her abandoning her daughter but led to her causing the dissolution of Team STRQ. I admired that she always stood up for what she believed in, and still do, but that doesn't mean I love her because I don't. Elizabeth, I love you and if you aren't sure then I'm pretty sure Violet is proof enough."

Elizabeth sighed. "Tai -"

"Elizabeth Lily Morell," Tai began slowly. "You've survived things that would have killed most people by now - whether during the fact or in the aftermath. You've been brutally tortured and abused and yet you've survived. You're single handedly one of the strongest people I know and even if you weren't I would still love you because you try so hard to be a good person, you try so hard to understanding, and you've done everything you can to right whatever wrongs you've done in your life - no matter how minor you thought they were. Eliza... I love you and that's not changing."

He could only hope that she was just exhausted and afraid, and that the things she was afraid of, the things she was saying, weren't real.

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_En Route To City Of Vale_**

**_4:12 AM_**

Though they were in deep within the tunnels, there was an artificial wind from the speeding of the train down the tracks. It whipped their hair and it made balance difficult for all of them - a fact which prompted all of them to stay as close to the center as possible. The four members of Team RWBY, alongside Dr. Oobleck, and Zwei were at the ready for the fight that they knew awaited them and that was even more so proven to them when they took in their surroundings and noticed several hatches that were barely locked and that was made even worse by the White Fang members that they knew were below them and would be ready to kill them without hesitation when they fully revealed themselves. Straight to the point, Oobleck began his erratic speech towards them for not the first time as he began to give orders.

"Hurry, children! We must get to the front and stop this train!"

Weiss stammered as she looked down into one of the hatches at a suspicious looking device. "Err… Professor?"

"Doctor…" Oobleck corrected as he saw her pointing down the hatch.

"What's that?"

Kneeling down as he took a look, Oobleck responded. "That my dear… appears to be a bomb."

All four girls cringed at the knowledge before Ruby drew their attention forward. "We've got baddies!"

Oobleck shook his head as the bomb beneath them begun its activation and begun to beep menacingly while dozens of White Fang members continued to climb up onto to the top of the train and he decided to start to give orders once the girls began to run and he had stood up. "Well I didn't expect them to go… easy on us! Time to go! Blake! Detach the caboose! It will kill us all!"

Blake nodded and jumped down to the connectors. "On it." Lifting Gambol Shroud to cut the connexion, Blake looked in shock as she watched the connexion free itself as she looked up at Oobleck. "Huh? It decoupled itself!"

Oobleck looked at her in surprise. "What?"

Yang shook in slight fear, acknowledging her body's natural response. "I guess he really doesn't want us on this train!"

Glancing back at the detached cart once Blake was back on top of the next car, Oobleck's eyes went wide in horror. "That's not good…"

Standing by yet another open hatch, Ruby shook her head. "Err...neither is this!"

Blake looked at her in shock. "Another bomb?"

Looking around and running to the next train car, Oobleck began to yell as he opened the hatch and looked in. "No...no...no! They all have bombs!"

Below Team RWBY, the next bomb began to beep and their cart detached itself, which forced them to the next cart while more White Fang members climbed onto the train again. Yang looked at all of them in horror before screaming. "This doesn't make sense!"

A White Fang member began to yell. "Get the humans!"

Moving forward to engage the new members of the White Fang in attack, Team RWBY continued on a little further whilst Dr. Oobleck turned around to watch the second detached train car explode and create a hole in the ceiling that allowed multiple forms of grimm to emerge from it and advance quickly towards the runaway train being piloted by Roman Torchwick. As cars continued to detach, Oobleck turned back to the team. "Oh dear...he's leading grimm to the city!"

Weiss raised an eyebrow as she watched the scene begin to unfold. "What?"

"It's the cars!" Oobleck declared. "They detach and explode, creating openings for the grimm!"

Blake shouted back as yet another train car detached. "That's insane!"

"We have to hurry!" Oobleck told them, turning to Weiss, Blake, and Yang. "You three! Go below and try to stop those bombs!"

"What about us?" Ruby asked him in confusion.

Placing his hands on his hips, Oobleck steadied himself. "We're going to stop this train!"

Ruby gave him a funny look. "Yeah, I know. I said that earlier."

As the group continued to move forward in its efforts to stop the train, several members of the White Fang began to take and pilot multiple Atlesian Paladin-290's, an incident both Ruby and Yang took mental note of, knowing that it would help Elizabeth, while using them to jump up onto the top of the train as it continued to race forward though its destination was still far, in reality it was hours away, even at the current speed. Running with Zwei as well, Ruby and Oobleck continued while he began to shout once again as an Atlesian Paladin began to charge towards them rapidly and in violent anger.

"Up ahead!" Oobleck shouted. "We got a problem!"

Taking a long sip from his thermos, Oobleck them transformed it into its weapon mode with a small flame ignited and began to burn at the tip while Zwei barked loudly, ready for aiding Dr. Oobleck and Ruby in their next attack. Jumping and then flipping in mid air, Zwei allowed himself to be bat by Oobleck's burning tip - an act that transformed the dog into a small fireball that knocked a shooting Paladin off of the train by being caught off guard by the attack. Tumbling onto the train tracks, the Paladin exploded violently when it ran into a barricade while another appeared in the front of Zwei, aiming its guns at him though is taken out by multiple attacks of fire by Oobleck. In another swift movement, Oobleck also knocked the Paladin off of the train like its companion and the fight for the stopping of the runaway train continued in rapid succession.

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_En Route To City Of Vale_**

**_7:00 AM_**

As soon as all three of the landed in the car of the train, Yang turned to her teammates. "I guess this is what we trained for."

"Here," Weiss said as she reached into her pouch and gave Blake a magazine filled with Dust vials. "This should help you."

Sliding the magazine into Gambol Shroud, Blake nodded and the three of them began to charge forward before a small woman with a smirk and an umbrella dropped down from the ceiling, blocking their path. Angrily, Yang looked at her teammates before turning back to Neo and firing a round to distract her while her teammates continued forward.

"You two go on ahead," She said darkly. "This one's mine."

Stepping forward after firing her shot, Yang stared Neopolitan down while she gave her a sinister smile in spite of her significantly smaller stature. Tightening her fist, Yang threw the first blow towards Neo's face though it was deflected by an illusionary wall that the woman summoned while she opened her umbrella and Yang felt her feet stumbling backwards. Regaining her balance, Yang charged forward and threw several punches in quick succession without redirecting her movements after each new movement, allowing Neo to easily jump out of the way of each of her attacks. Finally deciding to try and kick her in the head, Yang found herself getting pushed to the ground while Neo spun gracefully and threw a hook kick towards her. Groaning as she pushed herself up, angry still, Yang attempted to get up while her opponent attempt a drop kick to her face though Yang rolled herself out of the way and forced herself off of the ground to attack her head on again. Hot anger began to press against her, and she used it to empower her attack.

In quick response, Neo redirected the force of Yang's fist by pulling it in with her own arm and sending an axe kick to her chin, which she followed by the application of a flawless side kick to Yang's stomach as she continued to push the taller woman back with her umbrella. Attempting to counter this, Yang began to shoot at Neo with Ember Celica though the small woman continued to push her back against the wall with almost no effort until Yang began to fire a shot towards her feet that she jumped out of the way in a backflip. Landing on one of the metal containers, Neo sat down and crossed her legs with a smirk on her face while she played with her umbrella, awaiting any further movements from her opponent. Disdain for the tiny woman rising in her chest, Yang approached her with clenched fists while the woman taunted her before Yang's next attack though this is quickly countered by Neo kicking Yang's back. In yet another attempt to shoot her with Ember Celica, Yang found herself sparring hand to hand after the shot was blocked before she managed to grab Neo's foot long enough to be able to attempt to throw her towards the ceiling though the sadistic woman beat her against the roof and rendered her unconscious.

Slowly sauntering towards the unconscious Yang Xiao Long, Neo gracefully drew her small, cylindrical blade from the base of her umbrella and raised the blade menacingly as she readied herself to kill Yang though she was stopped by a woman, masked and in only black and red, gracefully dropping into the car from a summoned portal. Charging towards the sadistic young woman with her sword swinging at her, Neo barely evaded the otherwise deadly strike. Stopping, the woman spun toward her and slashed her abdomen while she was unable to properly respond and therefore found herself getting knocked back violently. Sheathing her sword and changing the blade in the revolving chamber, the woman finally drew her sword again and it this time was longer than the original blade that she had begun the fight with. Her eyes widening in fear at how dangerous things had become for her, Neo used an illusion to make her escape.

Taking a moment to look down at Yang though the blonde was still unconscious, the woman slashed her sword to the side and opened one of her shifting red portals. Closing her eyes, she sighed before she made her apparent decision. Beginning to walk away from the scene towards the portal, she stopped when she noticed Yang regaining some consciousness and slowly pushing herself back up off of the ground. Opening her eyes and turning around, the woman dissipated her portal and turned back to Yang while the girl rubbed her head and found herself feeling sick as she struggled with the regaining of her consciousness. Forcing herself to stand up and look at the woman, Yang's eyes went wide as the woman removed her mask and attached it to her side. Her face was so similar to her own, yet it was darker but, apart from that, there weren't many differences in their physique apart from that. The thing that was most jarring to her, however was the recognition of the woman as her mother from Team STRQ's last team photograph.

"Mom?" Yang asked hesitantly and Raven nodded once in assertion before speaking to her sharply.

"This is the one time I'm going to be saving you, Yang," She told her. "But, since I have a moment, I dare say I'm curious about your life. For starters, how's your father, Tai?"

Yang sighed and hesitated slightly, unsure of what Raven knew. "Well...uh...he remarried when I was really little and he's happy. He married -"

"Elizabeth Morell," Raven finished, bitterness lacing her tone. "I know."

Uncomfortable, Yang quickly changed the subject. "But uncle Qrow's...I don't know if you've seen him but...he's been uncle Qrow and then my sister, Ruby, is -"

Raven laughed humorlessly before giving her daughter a look of genuine sympathy for still being in the dark. "Ruby isn't your sister, Yang."

"I know that she's my half sister," Yang told her, narrowing her eyes. "But -"

"She's your cousin!" Raven shouted, her eyes flaring. "She's Qrow's daughter! honestly, Please tell me you didn't actually believe that Summer Rose and Tai -"

"I thought Elizabeth was my mother for years!" Yang shouted back, tears in her eyes. "Because you abandoned us! She was the one that raised me, not you!"

In spite of herself, Raven felt herself hurt by her daughter's words and looked away from her. "I had no choice!"

"Yes, you did!" Yang snapped, not wanting to believe what she was saying. "And dad still cares about you even though he doesn't love you anymore! I know, he's never said anything bad about you when I've asked. Besides that, he's moved on, and he has three daughters -"

"Two," Raven hissed. "He has you and...who is his other daughter?"

Angrily, Yang screamed back. "Violet Morell!"

"Tai…" Raven muttered irritably though her daughter pressed on.

"You and dad had me, he and Summer Rose had Ruby, and he and Elizabeth had Violet!" Yang scowled, angrier than ever at the woman who had abandoned her so long ago. "There's no way that Ruby is uncle Qrow's daughter!"

"Yes there is!" Raven snapped. "She was a mere baby when Summer died and Qrow blamed himself for it. Did you know that he came to me after her death to demand information? He was in denial at first, but I helped him see that maybe, just maybe, it would be best for his daughter to not have to deal with his… paranoia."

Staring at her mother in horror as she took a step back, Yang shook her head. "That..." She said weakly. "That's not true, it can't be."

"Whether or not you believe me isn't the point because it is true." Hesitantly shifting towards her, Raven pulled her daughter into a lingering hug before summoning her portal again. "We still have… much to discuss...but we'll do so later."

As soon as she stepped through the portal, Yang ran to find her teammates and sighed in relief when she found them, Zwei, and Dr. Oobleck on the top of the train as the wall grew closer. Shaking as she moved towards them while she saw Weiss gently kiss Ruby one more time before pulling out Myrtenaster, Yang looked at the girl and couldn't help but wonder if what her mother had told her was true. In spite of not wanting to, there was a nagging feeling that declared that Raven hadn't been lying but she still needed to know. A sinking feeling growing in her stomach while she looked to her sister - cousin - Yang, shook and Ruby looked at her in pure concern.

"Yang?"

Shaking slightly before Weiss encased them for protection, Yang replied. "I need to talk to dad or uncle Qrow soon…"

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:30 AM_**

"Are you alright?" Sam asked her gently, Ivy also looking at Caitlin in concern, having seen her stumble in reaction to a vision. "Caity?"

Caitlin sighed. "It was just a psychic moment and I didn't gain anything from it except for a sinking feeling and a temporary loss of vision."

Lysithea grimaced. "I don't think that's ever been a good thing."

"Caity –" Sam started, taking her hand.

"I'm fine, Mara," She snapped, pausing for a moment upon seeing her flinch. "So," She said awkwardly. "Do you all want to wander the city for a little or do you want to just talk here?"

Ivy shrugged. "I don't care what we do as long as Jake doesn't try to prank me into shifting into a boy again."

"That was one time, and it was a hilarious time that I will always hold dear to my heart," Jake told her, pretending to swoon. "But seriously Ives, your face when you realized you had a dick and couldn't change back was hilarious."

"I thought she was nervous because she had been touching herself," Sam whispered to Caitlin, causing her to giggle despite herself. "I mean that too."

"You have a dirty mind, Sam," Ivy said, pretending to be serious as she shook her head. "So I would refrain from that kind of talk or vastly inappropriate...insinuations…"

Sam returned Ivy's mock serious look. "Of course, Professor Ironwood-Goodwitch. Shall I run laps, or shall I face a grimm as penance?"

"Mara!" Caitlin exclaimed, leaning into her as she laughed. "That's not just ridiculous, that's crazy!"

"I know," Sam replied with a killer smirk. "It's not a problem, is it?"

"I'm not so sure," Caitlin told her, crossing her arms in mock indignance. "So it may very well be a serious problem."

Jake started laughing and punched Lysithea in the arm, causing her to sock him in the stomach, scowling at him while he stumbled back and down, trying to regain his breath.

"Okay, wait," Ivy said, glancing at the time. "I've got to ask, where the hell is Team RWBY? They should be back by now, by all accounts."

Caitlin shrugged. "Maybe they got caught up by grimm? Mountain Glenn's grimm population has done nothing but increase in recent years and I wouldn't say that it's an unreasonable assumption to make that the grimm population was more difficult to handle for them than they had anticipated."

Sam nodded. "That's fair. My team's mission was more straightforward because it was investigative and we're finishing the reports here before the Vytal Festival. Ours ended on time because it didn't require field work and their mission did. Yours too, Ivy."

"I know that," Ivy said, rubbing her arm nervously. "But I'm also worried about them because -"

An emergency alarm began to blare and Caitlin immediately covered her ears while Sam wrapped a comforting arm around her. Jake whipped around suddenly, and Lysithea pulled her sword and gun out, holding them at the ready. Annetta and Matt had been a little further behind them, but quickly ran to reconvene with them. Annetta started running and activated her semblance, slamming her axe into a grimm that was approaching them, and Matt dropped his bag and pulled out his own weapon. Ivy sighed in exasperation for a moment when Devin, Grace, and Genevieve caught up to them as well, prepared for a fight, but then her eyes went wide when she saw a train crash through a heavily sealed barrier and even more so when she saw Team RWBY on top of the debris. Getting up herself, Blake sighed as she got off the debris and Weiss looked at Ruby and Yang, both of whom signaled that they were alright before Ruby realized where they were and gasped in surprise.

The civilians in the area were looking at all of them in surprise and also slight fear, some of them knowing why those tunnels had been closed, but it wasn't until they all heard the low sounds of the creatures of grimm that were charging out from behind and beginning to run into the kingdom of Vale. Watching in horror, a moment passed while they tried to think of what to do while Lysithea and Sam began to shoot at and fight hand to hand the grimm that were running towards them before they stopped in surprise when a large King Taijitu, followed by more grimm, made its way into the city, causing the remaining civilians to scream during their attempts to escape the chaos that overtook the city. Growing angry and determined, Ruby pushed herself all the way up and, with her team, Team SAML, and Team IGDG, began to fight back while the frightening alarm continued to blare throughout the City Of Vale.

"Goddamn it," Caitlin muttered, sharing a look with Samara before she used her semblance to vanish into thin air and get back into her car, driving back to Beacon for backup at a breakneck pace. "This really is a starless city, isn't it?"


	49. Soulless Eclipse

**_June 14th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:03 AM_**

Having made their way into the center of the pavilion in the primary shopping district of the City Of Vale, all four members of Team RWBY found themselves growing anxious as they had found themselves surrounded heavily by many species of grimm, though the ones they recognized first were the Beowolves and Ursai, followed by the King Taijitu that was by far the largest of the creatures. A horrifyingly loud and almost strangled roar escaped the beast while its constituents began their attacks. Spinning Crescent Rose once over her head before planting it in the ground, Ruby started to kick away the grimm as she spun on her High Caliber Sniper Scythe (HCSS). At the same time, she noticed her sister, Yang, forcing herself upwards before attacking several grimm with Ember Celica from her position in the air. Shifting her position to aid her partner in her attack, Blake pulled out a knife and angled herself to throw it so that it would pierce the one of nevermores circling near Yang. Tossing her shot with as much force as she could, Blake relaxed temporarily when she saw it make contact and the beast fell to the ground but this faded when the other two nevermores attacked Yang and sent her crashing towards the ground.

"Yang!" Blake screamed as she ran towards where she was falling in an attempt to catch her though she missed by barely a meter. Continuing her run, she made it to Yang's side as she cursed and began to help her back up to her feet.

At the same time, with her axe, Annetta slashed an oncoming Beowolf (with far too much glee) shortly before Lysithea began to open fire on other grimm that were setting themselves to attack her. Matt was clearly enjoying the chance to punch things, and Devin yelled, eventually, that he was the beast he worshiped. Nearby, Weiss slashed three Beowolves with Myrtenaster before grounding herself and her aura as she summoned a glyph to conjure an ice blade. With Ivy Ironwood and Genevieve Sieben by her side and shooting the grimm that were continuing to plague the city, Yang began to send several cars flying towards the grimm while the King Taijitu poised itself for attack. Having finished slashing yet another grimm, Ruby noticed the Taijitu first and adjusted her grip on Crescent Rose to prepare for attack but stopped when she Nora Valkyrie giving them all a sassy grin and wave while standing on top of Magnhild as she quite literally flew into the city center turned battlefield. Flipping Magnhild out from underneath her feet, Nora slammed her hammer hard onto the head of the beast, killing it while it limply collapsed on the ground and dissipated. Smirking while flipping Magnhild, Nora glanced around before cheering herself on for her stunt.

"Nora Smash!"

Not terribly long after this, Jaune, Pyrrha, and Ren followed her into the battlefield with Pyrrha directing orders. "Let's move!"

"Okay…who's first?" Jaune said, shaking as he began to look around for the grimm though he shook even more when he noticed the large Ursa that was standing behind him at the ready. "Oh...oh… okay, you're first huh? Okay, no. that's fine… Totally fine, done this before, done this before..."

Unable to think of a better solution, Jaune closed his eyes and began to scream wildly while swinging his sword and - hoping that the buttons he was pressing for Dust were doing something to the creature - before it loudly fell and his eyes widened in surprise. Looking at the creature while it faded, Jaune looked back towards Pyrrha, who he found smiling upon noticing his improvement. Leaning into Yang while they causally shot at several more grimm, Ivy raised an eyebrow in surprise at Jaune's movements before screaming as a nevermore unexpectedly made its way towards them. About to shoot, Ivy and the rest of Team IGDG stopped short as a sudden shot pierced the beast straight through the head and it collapsed into the ground. Kicking the head to the side as she climbed over it, Sam slung her weapon back over her shoulder before adjusting her glasses and brushing off her grey skinny jeans, dark brown leather jacket, and tight violet shirt. Pulling her hair out of its tight side bun temporarily, Sam took her hair ties and shifted her dark hair, apart from her wavy side bangs, up into a high, center ponytail before looking at her sister and Yang with a smirk.

"What?" Sam asked them while Lysithea unexpectedly tried to jump up on to her back, causing her to scream. "It's not as if I was going to let that thing kill either of you."

Yang began to laugh but Lily suddenly narrowed her eyes before she, Sam, Annetta, Matt, and Ivy, Devin, Grace, and Genevieve realized what Yang was seeing. Having come out of the police station, Sun and Neptune swaggered onto the scene with their badges in hand, flashing them to everyone who would take notice. Rolling her eyes, Sam sauntered forward while the others watched. They watched them make their way to the center of the pavilion and sweep the badges in a semi-circle while facing opposite directions, Sun and Neptune ignored the fact that there was a fleet of Atlesian military ships slowly coming into view in the distance. Not only did they ignore that, but they barely noticed Goodwitch muttering something while she shot off some of the grimm nearby. Funnily enough, Varna's personal guard – and Sun's sister, as it happened - fighting off several grimm of her own before glaring at her brother when he and Neptune began their 'lecture'.

"Nobody move!" Sun declared loudly though he quaked slightly under his sister's harrowing gaze that only grew darker. "Junior detectives!"

Smirking, Neptune continued proudly. "We have badges so you know it's official!"

"Yeah!" Sun exclaimed, shrinking back as he fully met his sister's eyes before she turned her back and continued to fight.

Also glaring at Sun due to him, as far as Neptune was concerned, not playing it 'cool' enough, Neptune finally waved his hand dismissively before addressing everyone else present.

"Ignore him," He told them. "For he knows not what he says."

Glancing to Ivy, as the familiar sound of airships grew louder as they flew closer, Lysithea sighed as she crossed her arms and scowled at the sky. Sam steadied herself, and several of the dropships began to deploy units of Atlesian Knight 200s. Out of the corner of her eye, Yang began to giggle when she saw Sun and Neptune stare in awe while Sun dropped his badge to the ground. With everyone temporarily distracted by the Atlesian Military, a straggling Ursa began to attack Ruby from behind - expecting to catch her off guard - but is effectively gunned down by the machine gun of one of the drop ships. The AK-200s continued to deploy into the city and started gunning down grimm as they landed while one of the smaller ships landed on the top of one of the buildings and Ruby ran over to Yang and grabbed her by the arm as Elizabeth walked out of the ship and climbed down to the street from the building's fire escape with a gun in hand.

"Elizabeth's here!" Ruby screeched excitedly while grabbing onto her sister's arm tightly. "Ooo… do you think dad and Violet are here too?"

Your dad or mine? Yang thought though she pushed it away, not wanting it to be true though she felt a sinking feeling in her stomach when she saw Tai step off and onto the ground with Violet in his arms and hastily meeting up with his wife who effectively shot a Boarbatusk shortly after it stampeded on two of the Atlesian Knights while, in the same time frame, three other AK-200s opened fire on an Ursa after another one fell from the punch of a knight. "Well, I think they're coming towards us...so…"

Ruby screeched wildly once again. "Dad! Elizabeth! Violet! Hey!"

Shaking her head, Elizabeth smiled at Ruby before she shot another grimm and Violet was far too excited by the happenings, trying to grab a gun from Tai's hand. Further away and out of her line of sight, however, Emmett Schnee impaled two nevermores with his sword before he began to head down the alleyway where he saw an ursa but he stopped short in shock when he saw a woman in a short, strappy red dress with a feather attached to the side and glasses heels. Almost certain of her identity, Emmett waited for her two companions to disappear after some grimm before he, setting his sword to his side, grabbed her by the wrists and pinned her up against the wall and reached for his sword again, holding it under her neck while her amber eyes flared in anger before shifting to genuine fear. Shaking heavily as he met her gaze, Emmett forced himself to not let the feeling of being drowned take him over and instead guarded his other emotions with pure anger, upset, and a faint desire for revenge.

"Well...it really has been a long time since we've met up, hasn't it been Emmett?" Cinder said with a smile. "How's Emmeline...no, wait that's too harsh given the threat I made in our last meeting. How's the little brat or should I say brats? Assuming they're all still alive, of course."

"Of course they're all still alive!" Emmett hissed, trying not to cut her as he reminded himself that the point of having his sword there was to scare and restrain her, not harm her. "And Emmy's just fine."

"Oh...yes…that's too bad…" Clicking her tongue, Cinder narrowed her eyes at her brother. "Of course, I've killed quite a lot of people lately."

"Like Amber?" Emmett suggested, his hands shaking. "The Fall Maiden?"

Cinder laughed though she flinched back as far as she could to avoid his blade, knowing that even with her powers as a sorceress and partially a maiden that he could still kill her if he wanted to. "I almost forgot about her too...see, I didn't kill her, Emmett. If I had killed her, I would have taken all of her powers. That man who interrupted...ugh, not only did he smell like pure drugstore alcohol, but he also had a fucking scythe! I mean, apart from that little girl who's clearly trying too hard, who the hell fights with a scythe?"

"Didn't you kill his wife?" Emmett snapped and it was all Cinder could do to not scream. "Ashlynn -"

"That girl with the silver eyes? Summer Rose?" Cinder suggested and the way his face contorted was enough to convince her that that was who he was thinking of. "Well, they weren't married, but yes, I did kill her."

A gunshot rang out in the alleyway, but Emmett steeled himself and forced himself to not relinquish his upper hand even as he looked to the woman who had fired the gunshot. Shaking heavily as she realized who Emmett was restraining, the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Morell shifted as slowly as she could towards Cinder and pressed her gun against her head though she had her doubts of being able to pull the trigger.

"Cinder Amelia Fall," She hissed. "Or should I call you by your birth name of Ashlynn Cinder Schnee?"

An irritated sigh escaped her lips as the metal of Elizabeth's gun pressed against her head.

"Hello, Madame Morell," She said, scowling when she saw Cristal run into the alley too, stopping short for a moment in horror.

"Cristal," She said darkly. "What are you doing here? I thought you were a leading prosecutor, not –"

"I could ask you the same question," Cristal replied, crossing her arms. "Yet there's no use. I think we all know why you're here."

Cinder started laughing and turned back to Elizabeth.

"Oh, I almost forgot," The sorceress said with a smirk. "You and I have been in touch recently, haven't we?"

Cristal's gaze snapped to Elizabeth. "What the hell is she talking about?"

"She left a note on the counter in my house telling me that Emmeline and the rest of the Ciel family deserve to die and that I do as well," Elizabeth told him, her voice low and his eyes widened in horror. "Emmett, please don't -"

"What is wrong with you?" Emmett demanded of his sister while she sighed and leaned further against the wall. "The hell -"

"There are many things wrong with me," Cinder said plainly. "But, you see, the current state of the kingdoms is what you get when you trust men and women who claim, like Emmett, to be one of our...guardians when in reality they're nothing more than men and are therefore inherently flawed. The other thing that you two should know is that, unlike the two of you, I've learnt to never look back."

"You'll pay like hell for what you've done," Elizabeth told her, her voice stronger and much fiercer than she had expected. "And the second that you're back in Atlas is the second you'll be back behind bars."

"Yes," Cinder agreed. "But that's only if go back to Atlas which is something that, frankly, I don't have any desire to do. By the way, I couldn't help but notice that gun you're pressing against my forehead. I had no idea you could shoot. So, Elizabeth, when did you learn that skill?"

"Tai taught me about a few years back, for basic self-protection," Elizabeth muttered and Cinder smirked. "I should like to know why that concerns you."

Laughing again as she remembered her fire Dust, Cinder smirked at both of them before blasting it under them. This act was one that allowed her to escape but also brought both of them to the ground shortly before Ozpin himself ran into the alleyway and looked at them both in surprise before catching a glimpse of Cinder from behind as she left. Cristal and Ozpin helped Emmett up while Elizabeth coughed, swore, and leaned against the wall with her gun still in hand. Cristal began murmuring quickly to Ozpin about what happened and that Cinder had tried, based on Elizabeth's grip on her gun and what she had seen, kill her and Emmett. Ozpin suddenly pulled her in and, it was just then, Emmeline ran into the alleyway herself, paling when she saw the faint ash on the ground.

"Was…" Emmeline shared a look with Emmett, and she paled even more. "No."

Elizabeth stood up and started brushing herself off. "It was…that bitch..." She swore under her breath and then shook her head. "I swear, one of these days, I'm actually going to kill her."

"That's probably not the best idea," Emmeline warned her. "For a variety of reasons, but you really don't want to inherit her powers."

"Emmeline!" Ozpin snapped sharply, not wanting him to reveal that. "Don't you dare -"

"What the hell are you talking about, Oz?" Elizabeth demanded, her tiredness beginning to take her over. "I mean -"

"Her powers as a sorceress," Cristal said, though she knew that wasn't the whole truth. "Because… we don't know what happens to a sorceress's powers if she dies unnaturally."

Emmett scoffed but went along with the story anyways. "And the power transfer would probably be too much for your body to handle."

Elizabeth rolled her eyes as they walked out of the alleyway and back into the main city where she found herself staring in shock as Zwei practically flew out of the opening to the tunnels with Bartholomew Oobleck piloting a noticeably damaged Atlesian Paladin-290. Her shock increased more when yet another airship arrived although this time it was from Beacon Academy and dropped Team CFVY and Peter Port in the center of the pavilion. Not to her surprise, having spent enough time dealing with the girl's mother, Allison Adel, Elizabeth watched as Coco spanked one of her teammates before strutting towards a Beowolf and loudly speaking to it while lowering her designer sunglasses.

"You just destroyed my favorite clothing store," Coco informed the massive grimm before spitting and swatting away the creature's right hand. "Prepare to die."

Watching her fight, Emmeline sighed. "Should I be concerned that an Adel just spoke to a grimm as if it would understand language or should I be concerned by the fact that she seems to be –"

"As spoiled as her mother?" Cristal suggested, reaching up to adjust her glasses but let out a short scream as a grimm charged at her. Ozpin quickly snapped it down with his cane, and then pulled her in protectively. "Dear God…"

"Well, with regard to the Adel girl," Elizabeth said after a moment, taking a step back and smirking at Emmeline. "If you think she's bad, then you clearly haven't met her mother. The woman seems to think the best way to get what she wants is to yell at the council to remove restrictions placed on her company while simultaneously smoking a cigarette and calling everybody 'darling'."

Cristal rubbed her arm, feeling cold all of the sudden despite the summer warmth.

"I have more than once wanted to cause her pain in various places, but she's currently not bothering the council since she's mortified about something to do a recent sex tape," Cristal said after a moment. "I really don't think she wants me to refer to her as 'Nine To Five's CEO And Company Whore.' To be fair, though, that video did in fact suggest that she works some form of a nine to five."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "You mean a nine pm to five am, six hundred lien a pop."

"Oh god no!" Emmett exclaimed, still laughing. "Honey, that's horrible and disgusting!"

Another moment passed in silence and then the chaos returned. Sighing as he focused his semblance, Emmett easily took out the multiple creeps that were charging at him and on the periphery of his vision, he could see his daughters take down a nevermore with Annetta. At the opening to the tunnel, he noticed Oobleck climbing out of the Atlesian Paladin 290 and regrouping with Port before they began to fire at the last few grimm in the area that were approaching them. Using her crop to knock back several creeps before they could even touch her, Glynda irritably repaired the damage to the buildings before finally closing the opening to the tunnel with her semblance of telekinesis.

"She was here, Cinder," Emmett told her and she sighed, pushing up her glasses before crossing her arms with her crop still tightly curled under her hand. "I'm serious -"

"I know," Glynda told him, her cape fluttering behind her as a result of the breeze. "She and I had a little bit of a...an incident."

Ozpin looked at her in confusion and surprise. "What the hell does that mean?"

"It means that those buildings I just fixed," Glynda said, motioning to them with her crop. "Weren't damaged because of the grimm attack but were damaged because Cinder and I fought. I almost had her, but she managed to get away. I don't even know how, but it was almost like she was there but then she wasn't. The curious part was that when attack didn't reach her, it did reach an illusionary wall, something that reminded me of Neo."

"I hate that kid," Emmett muttered, remembering how she had been a first year during their last at Atlas Academy. "I know she can't speak and all, but did her parents name her Neopolitan because they knew how she would look or were they drunk or higher than hell when the decided to name their kid that? Unless she didn't have parents and got stuck with a really mean nickname that she shortened Neo because it sounds better?"

Glynda raised an eyebrow with a smirk. "I'm not quite sure, but it almost amuses me that she and Roman ended up together. Remember when they were at the Academy and they got along well and that was part of why you had thought, before he asked you out, that they were a couple?"

"Not that it matters," Emmett said, returning her smirk. "Since Emmy and I got married and he ended up with her anyways. Which, by the way, neither of which I would have expected to happen at the time."

Emmeline laughed. "Emmett, sometimes –"

"I'm your husband," Emmett reminded her, kissing her softly for a second despite everything around them. "Forever."

* * *

**_June 14th_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:33 AM_**

Despite still being fully dressed for a meeting with the Valerian Council that was temporarily postponed, Elizabeth Morell ran to the site where Roman Torchwick was being arrested and Ronnie Ciel was already there. Nodding to one of the guards, she stopped in front of the criminal before he could be taken onto the ship. While dismissing the two kids that had escorted him to the Atlesian airship, one with green hair and the other with dark grey, Elizabeth crossed her arms as an Atlesian Knight approached in order to guard her and the president after handing her the mob boss' cane. Examining it for a moment, Elizabeth took note of the grappling hook function as well as the fact that the end of it could clearly be used as a gun before she shoved it back to the Atlesian Knight and ordered for it to be taken and locked as evidence before she turned back to the man and narrowed her eyes before waiting for him to speak. Not to very much surprise, when he did he was predominately sarcastic.

"Oh, I can't believe that you've caught me, you've really taught me the error of my ways."

"Restrain him," Ronnie ordered an Atlesian Knight, who grabbed Roman sharply by the arm, much to his annoyance.

"He...hey! Watch the hat!"

"I will be...holding on to this," Elizabeth informed him as she swiftly took his hat off of his head and handed it to the Atlesian Knight that had already taken his cane. "And you and I will also be having a serious...discussion."

"What about?" Roman asked her with a smirk. "Because this whole thing seems to be turning out just as well as the divorce…"

Ronnie rolled his eyes. "Since when are you married to anyone?"

"Since several years ago, Mister President!" Roman declared grandly. "Her name is Neopolitan, though you probably know her as -"

"Neo," Elizabeth finished for him irritably. "Yes, I am aware of her. Assuming my memory isn't failing me, weren't the two of you rather close while at Atlas Academy? It was your last year and her first, was it not?"

Roman laughed maniacally. "You remember that?"

Elizabeth visibly tensed and narrowed her gaze at him while retaining her haughty posture. "Might I remind you that I did in fact deal with the aftermath of the mess that your...boss created? Tell me, was I or was I not -"

"Oh come on," Roman asked her with a smirk and to his surprise she nodded curtly. "Shortly after all the bullshit, weren't you made the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council?"

A beat passed in which Elizabeth did not respond. When she did, it was short. "Yes."

Roman shook his head and laughed. "You really have the shittiest luck in the world, except for in that you married Taiyang Xiao Long and had a daughter with him."

Elizabeth looked at him in shock. "How…"

"Ah, see," Roman told her with a wink. "I keep up with the Atlesian RINSE and, of course, Atlas News and both of them were all over you on that topic."

"Yes," Elizabeth replied as smoothly as possible through her shock. "I am fully aware of that."

"Now, where o' where are you taking me?" Roman asked as she sidestepped him and the Atlesian Knights grabbed him the wrists to take him away on her orders. "Och!" Turning around as their grip tightened, Roman snapped. "Give me my fucking hat and cane, you non sentient pieces of -"

"Take him away," Ronnie ordered the Knights before addressing Roman one last time. "And General Ironwood and General Ciel will be speaking with you later. I assure you that I'll make it very clear to them that you have so far refused to cooperate with the authorities, not that your history makes that much of a surprise."

Walking off of the platform while the ship closed and Roman was taken by the Knights to a holding cell, Elizabeth sighed irritably and reattached her gun to her side before treading her fingers through her tangled dark hair. Watching the ship take off, she kept her gaze on it before it disappeared into the clouds that were starting to come in, signifying a rainstorm later in the day. She was mildly annoyed that it was so warm, which meant no snow. Snow was something that reminded her of home in Atlas during the winter months, never mind the fact that it was June, and it also gave her hope as it reminded her of how elated she had been every time that snow fell as a child. Elizabeth's heels clicked against the ground as she saw the teams running about in relief that it was over and Glynda tightly embracing James before he left to prepare to interrogate their former teammate later and also to prepare for the late meeting with the council that she was supposed to video call into.

Emmett Schnee was with Sam and Lily, though after giving his eldest a hug, they all started to head back towards Beacon with Emmeline. Aligning with her expectations was the fact that, as soon as they knew the attention had no longer been on them because of their operation of heavy and markedly stolen Atlesian machinery, Oobleck had wrapped his arms tightly around Port's neck and kissed him passionately while Port's strong arms secured the lanky doctor in his arms. Yet Ivy Ironwood seemed to have disappeared in the chaos. The rest of them all seemed calm, and it was almost unnerving to Elizabeth how quickly things had managed to calm down. Perhaps it was reflective of how things were in Atlas. Nothing was ever calmed or restrained this quickly. It was not the immediate response that concerned her. It was the circumstances of grimm being led into the city. It was all too perfect and convenient, something, as the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council would not know until much later, that the younger Ironwood-Goodwitch was about to realize.

"Long time no see, Ironwood."

Ivy whipped around, her hair flying out around her wispily. In the darkened alley way, with only a faint breeze easing the summer heat that seemed to cling to everything, stood someone she hadn't seen since she had been fourteen. It had been the summer before she and her twin had started the eighth grade, and their father had been stationed in Menagerie for the year. Her sister hadn't made any friends, nor had she tried, and she and Jake had spent most of their time in the apartment, either reading or watching TV or whatever. Ivy had gotten cooped up after a few weeks, and she'd hated it. She started going out, the social butterfly she always had been, and she had met a lot of interesting people, enough to have recognized Blake Belladonna when she saw her again for the first time in years when the girl started at Beacon. This was not Blake, though; this was someone more dangerous and, for her, far more seductive.

"Adam," Ivy said, her heart pounding in her chest. "What are you doing here?"

"Handling a few things," He replied.

Ivy scowled. "Murder, I presume?"

Adam smirked. "Not necessarily."

She let out a short, dry laugh. "Is that so?"

He stared at her for a moment and then delicately pulled off his mask. Ivy gasped in horror upon seeing the branded mark over a blind eye and she took a step back, her stomach sinking.

"SDC?" She said, her throat suddenly hoarse. "As in…Schnee Dust Company?"

Adam nodded shortly. "I know you're aware of their…overstepping. And I know you hate it."

"What they do is wrong," Ivy replied, crossing her arms. "But I know you've killed people for your own gain too. Don't act all high and mighty. You ain't the person I knew back then, you know."

Adam stepped towards her and Ivy did not step back.

"Neither are you," He finally said, reaching out and cupping her cheek. "You've grown."

"Adam, stop it," Ivy said, although she did nothing, hating herself liking the sensation of his warm hand against her cheek. "You're –"

"Let me kiss you, just once," He said, his rough voice surprisingly gentle. "You might be human, you might be the daughter of people I think irrelevant yet plugged in…but you're as close to us as you can be. You could change the world, Ivory, so why are you throwing away your shot?"

Ivy swallowed hard. "I can't…there's…"

She paused upon him pressing his lips against hers, and she, for all her mind was screaming at her, kissed him back, not objecting when she felt her back pressing against the wall in the alleyway and their bodies melted together as one. It was a sensation unlike any other she had ever known, and it was that, she would one day realize, haunt her for the rest of her life. Now, she did not care. They were at odds, but she was too optimistic. Her sister would go ballistic if she knew, her parents would be disappointed, and her brother would be disgusted but she didn't care. She didn't know how to say no to this. Her mind may have been screaming that it was wrong, that she shouldn't but she couldn't consider that when his mouth and body were on hers. All she could say in those moments that they were about to start stealing for each other was yes and she was sure she could change him.

She hated knowing that he never would, not even for her, and that everything she had would never be enough.


	50. The Unimaginable is Upon Us

**_June 14th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:49 PM_**

"But mommy…" Annetta whined, pouting and widening her eyes. "We were there! We –"

"Are not allowed to have access to classified information simply because –" Cristal started.

"That's not fair!" Carleigh protested. "I'm an adult –"

"An adult with no job or prospects," Cristal sharply reminded her. "Who most certainly is not qualified to have access."

Oliver subtly stepped on his sister's foot and eyed his father nervously, playing with his glasses.

"Are we going to be okay?" He finally asked, chewing at his lip. "With…everything that's…that's happened?"

"It is going to be…just fine," Ozpin sent his children a sharp glance and he looked over his glasses at the Valerian Director Of Homeland Security while he answered the call and his four kids all stepped, however grudgingly, into the elevator. "Hello, Councilman."

"Ozpin…" The man growled in irritation while several other members of the Department Of Defense entered the room and Elizabeth Morell entered the call as well as Ronnie Ciel. "President Ciel, good to see you. You as well, Madame Morell."

"And you, Director," Elizabeth replied though she was noticeably on edge. "After today's...incident, I do presume that you are prepared to take some form of action?"

The Director tensed, glaring at Morell. "I should think so, though..." Trailing off the Director reverted his glare from her to Cristal. "Prosecutor Schnee, a pleasure as always to...see you. Though I don't recall inviting you on this call."

Cristal sighed and adjusted her trench coat. "Then your memory must be failing you. I am a representative of the Atlesian government that is on the Torchwick case. Must I forward the information to you from my scroll?"

The Director furiously began to mutter to himself. "Fuck, fuck, fuck."

"What was that, Director?" Elizabeth asked with a raised eyebrow though she knew full well what he was muttering to himself. "Director -"

"Nothing, nothing, Madame Morell. Do excuse my trespasses," The Director said, almost too quickly for comfort. "Truly -"

"This is not relevant, sir," Cristal said, as clipped as if she would be in a courtroom. "The purpose of this call –"

Ozpin had turned to look at out the window by the time James logged onto the call, followed by Karissa Mar in Atlas.

"General Ironwood," The Director said shortly. "And Madame Mar. Pleasure, as always."

"Director," James said, almost as irritable as Morell. "As I understand it, this has something to do with your previous talks with the Department Of Foreign Affairs And Military Action in Atlas?"

Ozpin was staring aloofly out his window, while the Director tried to focus on his conversation. "Yes, it does."

Elizabeth narrowed her gaze, knowing what he was playing at. "Then either get on with it or lash out at someone as you're apt to do."

Breathing heavily and glaring at Elizabeth, the Director tried to force himself to be tame. "Of course, Madame Morell. First, though, might I ask where you learned to shoot as well as you do?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared. "That's more than perfectly irrelevant, not to mention a complete and utter -"

"It's a fair question, considering your...history," The Director countered, much to the annoyance of Ronnie, Karissa, Cristal, James, and Elizabeth herself. "Did you learn that from Cinder Fall?"

Elizabeth's otherwise calm look turned to outrage in an instant. "Why you...you...you little -"

"Who taught you -" The director repeated.

"Tai!" Elizabeth snapped, her glare retained. "My husband taught me how to shoot because he knew that I was going to have defend myself against people like Cinder Fall who, if I'm not mistaken, has escaped the authorities in your kingdom more than once just a while -"

"She escaped Atlas once -"

"Once," Ronnie repeated, a sinister note rising in his typically neutral voice as a warning. "In 2007, and the second she's back in Atlas, she won't be leaving."

"Why not execute her?" The Director suggested. "I mean -"

"That's illegal in Atlas," Karissa tersely reminded him. "And the affairs pertaining to the United Kingdom Of Atlas's laws are not the point of this, are they?"

The Director looked back towards Ozpin, who was still gazing out his window. "Ozpin? Ozpin!"

Turning back to face them, Ozpin sighed. "Yes, Councilman."

"You've left us no choice!" The Director half shouted, slamming his fist down on his desk from his end of the video feed. "The Vytal Festival Tournament cannot be broadcast, let alone held, if we are unable to ensure the safety of the citizens!"

Karissa scowled. "I believe that is more of your fault than Ozpin's, if we are being strictly logical. Why, you and your council didn't even bother to investigate Mountain Glenn's grimm population and instead left it to a headstrong group of teenagers and their eccentric professor. Bearing that in mind, I should think that you are at much more fault and significantly more culpable in this situation. I'm shocked that no one has yet called for your immediate resignation."

The Director continued to address only Ozpin, too embarrassed to respond to her. "Ahem…" He cleared his throat awkwardly. "Therefore, we have reached out to the Atlas Council and together have decided that the best action is to appoint General Ironwood as head of security for the event."

James nodded. "Thank you, Councilman. Our kingdom is happy to lend as many as troops as it takes to ensure that the event runs as smoothly and safely as possible."

The Director switched focus to James. "And we thank you, General."

"But," Elizabeth began with a warning in her tone. "If your council continues this...ignorance, then do be assured that the United Kingdom Of Atlas will not be held culpable for your refusal towards proper action."

Ozpin allowed a moment to pass in silence but then shook his head. "Will that be all?"

The Director glared at him once more. "For now. But after this festival comes to a close, we are going to have a serious discussion about your position at Beacon Academy. President Ciel's reports, alongside General Ironwood's, over the last few weeks have left us somewhat...concerned. I am sure you understand."

Angrily logging off of the call, the Director disappeared, leaving Morell, Ronnie, Karissa and James before three of them logged off – Elizabeth with a heavy, irritable sigh - while James, Ozpin, and Cristal stared at each other silently for a moment before James finally spoke before logging off as well.

"This is the right move, Ozpin. I promise," He told him, hesitating for a moment when Cristal nodded subtly. "I will keep our people safe: you have to trust me."

Another moment passed in silence and then Ozpin turned to his wife.

"Why are we still lying to them?" He eventually said, tiredly probing his forehead. "Things are not safe, they may very well be on the brink of getting worse, and yet we continue to tell them that it will be alright and are trying to convince our friends and family to do things we won't do ourselves. Is that…"

"We're treading a thin line," Cristal weakly admitted. "But, for now, it's for the best they don't know everything. Most of it…well, there's little to be done at the moment. It seems the best chance we have…is to wait this out and pray we don't live to regret it."

Ozpin stood up and tightly embraced her, much to her surprise.

"I hope so," He murmured. "For all of us."

* * *

_**June 14th**_

_**Atlesian Command Ship**_

_**Beacon Academy**_

_**City Of Vale**_

_**Vale**_

_**Downtown**_

_**9:21 PM**_

Sighing heavily as he got off of call with Ozpin, James shook his head whilst staring at the glowing orbs of Beacon Tower. "You brought this on yourself."

Temporarily holding on responding to a message from Glynda, James slowly began to walk towards the heavily guarded holding cell inside which Roman Torchwick was. A slight fear rose in his chest as he forced himself to breathe, knowing that Roman was not Dean anymore, but it was odd knowing that he was going to have to interrogate his former teammate. Of all of the things he had expected to happen to Team JGED while they were at Atlas Academy, he had not expected Emmett to fall in love with, marry, and have children with Emmeline, nor did he expect that same thing to happen between him and Glynda despite the fact that he had fallen for her by the end of their first year, something he didn't admit to until she came back from visiting her brother in Vale after the summer holidays. It was the beginning of their third year, and they had been twenty. To his surprise, she admitted that she was attracted to him as well. Two years after that, they were married and had the twins. Emmeline and Emmett grew closer in that time, and, a few years later, they, too, had children of their own.

Dean was, for so many reasons, even more unexpected than the things that had happened in his, Glynda's, and Emmett's lives. While they had all continued on in and excelled in their careers, Dean had disappeared not terribly long after the accident while investigation the Schnee Dust Company. Though he wasn't surprised by Dean's anger towards the Schnee Dust Company and even his anger towards Emmett, he had been surprised when he heard about the fact that Dean had attempted murder on Jacques Schnee. In reality, they all had been. Emmett was the least surprised, having the most knowledge of Dean's history and figuring out fairly quickly that Lisa had had something to do with pushing him towards that extreme but that didn't mean a shock hadn't taken to him as well. Though they had been aware of his anger, they had never expected Dean to be vengeful to the point of violence.

That was shortly before the turning point at which they all realized that Dean Carson was no longer that but Roman Torchwick. Looking to several of his subordinates who were guarding Roman for the moment, James sighed as they opened the door and Roman looked up, missing his signature hat.

"Leave us," He tiredly ordered.

They nodded. "Yes sir."

A beat. No words were spoken between the two men, the two former teammates, for quite some time, and that tension was only amplified by the arrival of Emmeline Ciel.

"I've been informed that so far you've refused to cooperate with the authorities," James told him while his former teammate looked up and smirked at Emmeline.

"I know this might be hard to believe, General," He sassed, speaking to him yet looking to Emmeline. "But...uh...I'm not the biggest fan of local law enforcement."

James crossed his arms and returned the man's smirk. "How about the world's strongest military power?"

Roman hesitated before leaning back far too nonchalantly. "Hmm… first impressions… not great."

Emmeline's eyes narrowed considerably, but she said nothing.

"I'm going to give you one chance," James told him, his voice dark. "Who's really behind all this?"

"Isn't it obvious?" Roman asked him as he leaned back and flung his hands back against the wall dramatically. "You're looking at him."

"Hmm…" James mused, looking at him seriously before starting to walk away. "Very well then."

"What's the matter, General?" Roman asked, intentionally drawing out each word. "I thought you wanted to talk."

Deciding to take advantage of the situation, James turned back and glared at him while Emmeline remained. "The council's given me custody over you for as long as I see fit. So, you can make yourself comfortable. I can be sure that you'll have plenty of time to...talk."

"Oh, wonderful," Roman replied with his sarcasm dominating his tone before laughing. "Hehehe… so, General, how are our teammates?"

Of the many things he had been expecting the man to say, that was the last of them. "What do you mean?" He said, turning around suddenly while Emmeline stared at the thief incredulously.

"Oh, you know what I mean," Roman said as he leaned back against the wall of his holding cell. "I mean Emmett Schnee...the spoiled brat and of course Glynda Goodwitch. You know, I really didn't expect him to be able to..." Roman turned to Emmeline, his voice decidedly nasty. "Well let's just say that I didn't expect you of all people to marry and spread her legs for him."

"I'm not going to dignify that with a response," Emmeline crossed her arms tightly across her chest. "And, apart from whatever the hell you thought this was today, you've attempted murder, you've orchestrated the Dust robberies in Vale for over a decade and almost stole every speck of Dust in the kingdom -"

"What can I say?" Roman began with a sigh. "I'm a criminal mastermind."

"Not only that, but you've been involved with Cinder Fall for years, haven't you?" James asked him and the irritated look on Roman's face said it all. "She's behind this, isn't she?"

Roman rubbed his neck nervously. "Does it matter if I'm the one who executed the plan? Think of it this way, General, none of this is about what I want to do or what I support. It's about what I can't afford to lose, and, frankly, being associated with her and her… faction is a small price to pay. All of you, Emmett Schnee, Glynda Goodwitch, Elizabeth Morell, Cristal Schnee, Ronnie Ciel, Karissa Mar, etc...you all want to play the part of the hero, So, here's the thing you all will just die like every single other huntsman or huntress in history, and half of the people I just listed have no background in that whatsoever. Either way, that won't be me. For me, I'm going to continue to what I do best, which is lying, stealing, cheating, and surviving!"

"General Ironwood? General Ciel?" One of the soldiers said, coming back. "Glynda Goodwitch is here and has requested permission to speak with Torchwick."

_That must have been what she was sending me a message about…_James thought before nodding. "I will speak with her for a few minutes before sending her down. Monitor him while we're gone."

"Yes sir," The soldier said, pointing his gun at Roman while leaving the door to his holding cell open as the man leaned back against the wall. "Don't try anything."

Roman shrugged. "I'm not motivated to."

Briskly walking off, James sighed when he saw Glynda irritably leaning against the wall with her arms crossed and her crop tightly in hand. Looking up when she heard him, her expression softened and she shifted to attach her crop to her boot after collapsing it. Adjusting her glasses and with her cape flowing out from behind her, Glynda tightly wrapped her arms around him before leaning into him with her eyes closed for a moment while he rubbed her back. With no one around but Emmeline, they weren't concerned about anyone seeing them, nor were they concerned about their moment of peace being interrupted. Glynda let him hold her for a moment before slowly releasing herself from his embrace.

"It'll be fine," She assured him as she pushed up her glasses and reached down for her crop. "It's not as if he'll enact some sort of grand escape while I'm talking with him."

"I know," He said, giving her a squeeze. "I'll see you soon, okay?"

Glynda nodded before kissing him lightly. "Okay."

"I should warn you," Emmeline said, her voice remarkably dark. "If he says anything, be careful what you tell Emmett because I'm sure he's going to be on edge enough as it is."

Glynda sighed. "I believe that."

Her heels clicked menacingly against the cold metal floor of the Atlesian Command Ship with each step that she took while growing closer to the holding cell each second. Though she knew that, in reality, she had no reason to be nervous, she couldn't stop the rising nerves inside her and those only increased when she got a horrible, sickening feeling as she grew closer. Passing it off as her former teammate's anger at having been incarcerated, by the Atlesian Government no less, she forced herself to not let the feeling of being poisoned spread through her and, as she waited for the soldiers to leave while she stood outside the holding cell, she found herself in a stalemate with him while they both refused to speak. Deciding to give up, she glared, reached down for her weapon, and crossed her arms with her crop in hand.

"Dean," She said bitterly. "Seems to me like you haven't changed much in the last few years."

"See, this is the thing," He began slowly, leaning back in a vain attempt to make himself comfortable in his small holding cell. "I know that you know I'm Roooooman Torchwick now but at the same time I also know that you don't really care."

"Which proves that you're not entirely stupid," She replied dryly. "Despite thinking that working with someone like Cinder is a good idea. What did she say to you, anyways, that convinced you that that wasn't stupid?"

He rolled his eyes and groaned before looking at her to reply. "Here's the thing, Glynda, the thing you don't understand and never have. You would die to protect someone, especially someone you care about, while I care more about my own survival. I'm not a bad person for doing what I do, I'm simply a survivor. You, James, Emmeline, and Emmett are perfectly alike in your perception of the world because you all think in black and white. Come to think of it, your eldest does too."

Glynda's eyes went wide at the last part and she forced herself not to betray any sign of fear. "How do you know that? You've never even -"

"I know people who listen, Adam Taurus included. I believe your younger daughter was friends with him back when you all lived in Menagerie," Roman said, snapping his fingers and smirking. "But, more to the point, see, he's working with Cinder and her faction because he thinks it will further his attempts to overthrow the bourgeoisie...I mean the humans."

"You are human," Glynda pointed out and he shrugged. "So why would you -"

"No, see, I don't like Taurus." Roman told her. "To be honest, I don't even like most faunus. In general, they're mostly just kids with ski masks who think they can change the world."

"You really are a dick, aren't you?" Glynda said, shaking her head. "Not that I'm surprised, now that I think about it."

"And you're...well nothing but stubborn and you've hardly changed since the last time I saw you," He said, rolling his eyes before laughing maniacally. "Come to think of it, James and Emmeline are the same way...bet Emmett is too."

Glynda narrowed her eyes at him. "Do you have any idea, do you even care about what that woman has done and what that's done to Emmett, what that has done to his family?"

"Yeah, you see, I'm not really a big fan of the Schnee family and being that you're talking about the Ciel-Schnee family," He snorted. "Well that's even worse, as far as I'm concerned."

"Do you even hear yourself?" Glynda exclaimed in slight horror. "You don't even care! Have you ever -"

"Stop," Roman looked at her in genuine surprise. "Look, honestly, I'm fairly indifferent to what Cinder may want to do to the Ciels, and so is Neo. You remember her, don't you? Yeah, well, anyways, see Neo and I are married, not that you would care, and, also not something that you would care about, we're trying to have a kid because I know she really wants one. She said so...well, wrote is more appropriate, considering that she's mute, but still. She made it very clear to me. And, no, this isn't my first child but this will be the first child I have that I actually give a damn about."

Raising an eyebrow, Glynda sighed. "Since when do you have a child?"

"Och, well that's an interesting story…" Roman said, beginning to laugh. "I'll spare you the gory details, but that quote un-quote champion at Beacon, Pyrrha Nikos -"

"Miss Nikos is your daughter?" Glynda half shouted, incredulous amongst other things. "No, that's ridiculous, and not to mention -"

"Believe whatever you want," Roman said as he flung a hand against the wall. "I don't care. I've never met her anyways and have no desire to. I don't care about her at all."

"What a surprise," Glynda remarked dryly. "Considering how you've changed."

"Well," Roman said, smirking again. "See, I've never –"

"That doesn't change what you've done," Glynda told him as she looked sharply to one of the guards who closed the door to the holding cell while her former teammate laughed maniacally, all the while her heels clicked dangerously as she walked away. "And it never will."

* * *

**_June 17th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_Main Courtyard_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:58 PM_**

Shaking slightly from the cold as she walked into the courtyard of Beacon Academy, Yang sighed in relief as she pulled her jacket closer to her upon seeing her mother - albeit with her grimm mask still on her face. A beat passed in utter silence as the slightly chilled summer air started to rip through her. Though she shivered, she forcibly recalled what winter had been like while they had been living in Atlas or more accurately when they were living between Atlas and Vale. It was then she felt a little warmer. There was slight comfort in knowing that Elizabeth and Tai were only a mere call or message away if she needed them. Elizabeth and Tai were, for the time being, living in a small flat in downtown Vale. Still, this didn't negate the fact that she still was wrestling with how and if to tell Ruby the truth of who she was. Tai's warning about hurting her continued to ring in her ears and while she refused to accept the idea of hurting Ruby of all people, she knew that it was a possibility. If she hadn't the drive for doing what she thought was right, telling Ruby the truth of who she was, she would have waited for Qrow to tell her but even she knew that the chances of that were slim. He loved them both, but he also was afraid of hurting them and the last thing she knew he would want to risk causing his own daughter pain for any reason.

"Mom?" Yang asked quietly, for clarification rather than anything else.

Removing her mask, one hand on the hilt of her sword, Raven shook out her long, feathery hair and sighed. "Yang," She shortly replied. "Like I said, we have a lot to talk about."

Her eyes turning from lavender to red, Yang nodded. "Then talk."

Sighing heavily, Raven motioned for Yang to come towards her and then sat down at the base of the fountain. "Yang, I know that our last meeting was...eventful, to say the very least."

"That's an understatement," Yang muttered and Raven narrowed her eyes before hesitantly treading her fingers through her daughter's hair. "But what do you want to talk about? You know that when I went looking for you as a kid, with Ruby, mind you, that I almost died because -"

"You remind me so much of Tai," Raven murmured before meeting her daughter's increasingly darkened gaze. "And yes, I did know about that. Qrow told me, actually, how he saved you and Ruby from the grimm. According to him, Tai was worried sick -"

"I thought you didn't care about dad!" Yang snapped, her red eyes flaring. "I thought you didn't care about me!"

"I do care about you!" Raven exclaimed, hurt in spite of herself that her daughter could think for even a second that she didn't care about her. "But I had other things I had to think about! The tribe, for one! Yang, nothing I did was personal!"

"You hurt him so much, you know that?" Yang said, her voice shaking. "He was so depressed for years, and Summer Rose dying really didn't help! She was one of his closest friends and -"

"I know!" Raven snapped, though she was trying to be calmer. "I know that -"

"So then why did you leave us?" Yang demanded. "And don't say the tribe, because I know that -"

"Yang…" Raven said, her voice almost pleading as she took her daughter's hands. "It wasn't personal, I promise. I love you, you're my daughter and -"

"And you left me!" Yang reminded her, tears spilling out of her without permission. "And...and I…"

"Yang, I know this is hard, but I do care…" Raven told her though she knew she didn't believe her. "I have other things to worry about too though."

"Like what?" Yang challenged, her eyes still red in spite of her tears. "Like what?"

Raven hesitated, not wanting to have to explain the maidens or Salem to her daughter, let alone the things Ozpin did, and of course the fact that she was recently the Spring Maiden. "Yang, you have to trust me on this," She finally said. "Can you?"

Yang nodded after a moment's hesitation, considering that Raven hadn't lied about Ruby which she imagined was even more of a concern than this. "Okay…"

Raven sighed. "This isn't going to be something you want to hear but I need you to keep in mind that Ozpin isn't necessarily who he says he is. He has abilities beyond that of the normal human being and he uses them for various reasons. Yang...Ozpin is going to fail, and, not only that, Beacon is going to fall."

Yang looked at her in shock before shaking her head. "No, there's no way. And what is it that Beacon would fall to? It's a Huntsman Academy, so it wouldn't be grimm."

"Yang, I'm serious," Raven told her, shaking slightly and her eyes wide. "I'm not saving you again because, for one, you need to be able to do that for yourself, and, for second, because I can't always be here to save you. But Beacon will fall and Ozpin will fail."

"No…" Yang said, still in shock though her horror arose from the thought of Beacon falling. "No, that's not...that's not going to happen…"

Deciding that it would be inherently better to change the topic, Raven sighed and tried to be reasonable despite her feelings on the subject. "How are Elizabeth and Tai?"

"Fine," Yang told her, crossing her arms before quietly asking her own question. "What was it like to be at Beacon with Team STRQ?"

Looking at her in surprise, Raven steeled herself against her tears, not wanting to think about how they had all lost Summer Rose. "Well...during the Vytal Festival we fought against Team JGED in one of the first rounds. Team JGED isn't a team anymore, considering that one of its members is now the criminal Roman Torchwick -"

"Torchwick?" Yang asked, turning to face her mother. "He was a huntsman?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "I guess...he was on the same team as General Ironwood, Glynda Goodwitch, and Emmett Schnee though at the time he was known as Dean Carson."

"That's insane!" Yang said, in shock at the idea of Roman having once been a huntsman from Atlas Academy. "I mean...it's fucked up, but it makes a lot of sense…"

Raven laughed, knowing just how right her daughter was. "Yes, well, anyways, they defeated us in the first round of the tournament. Shortly before we had gone against them, Tai and I tricked Qrow into wearing a skirt as his uniform. We told him that it was a kilt."

Yang began to curl into herself as she laughed, trying to imagine Qrow wearing a skirt. "And he fell for it?"

Raven nodded. "He might have flashed a few people, but I don't think he minded. I do distinctly remember pulling him away from Glynda when he started flirting with her in. There was that brief moment, too, in which Emmett Schnee flirted with me though I think it was sarcastic and after we lost to them I intentionally tried to pick a fight with them though Summer, Tai, and Qrow stopped me. After the festival, things were normal...per se."

"Why per se?" Yang asked, genuinely curious. "I mean -"

"Well, for one thing, time seemed to move a lot quicker. We had more work for classes and it wasn't long before I was getting so keyed up that Summer would drag me off to the most deserted places on campus and force me to have cookies or ice cream with her." Raven sighed again, trying to push back her emotions towards Tai. "I started to fall in love with your father and eventually we hastily had you. Not too long after that, I left and...clearly, things changed for the rest of them though less so for me."

"Oh…" Yang said, unsure of how to respond. "Well…"

"You don't have to say it, Yang," Raven told her with a sharp look. "It's perfectly fine for Tai to have moved on...even if it was too soon for my taste."

Yang nodded though she didn't say anything for a while before forcing herself to meet her mother's gaze. "You know, if it's any consolation, I think Elizabeth is jealous of your relationship with dad even though it's in the past."

Smirking, Raven wrapped an arm around her daughter before playfully messing up her hair. "That actually does help a little. Ha, Elizabeth Morell of all people is jealous of me because I have a kid with Tai. She does know that I was the one ended our relationship and rejected the idea of marrying him, right?"

"Yeah," Yang admitted though she had noticed how every time Raven came up that Elizabeth tensed, almost as if she was afraid that Tai didn't love her as much as he loved Raven. "But I don't think that helps very much. She's enamored by dad and she's always had this little bit of fear that he might leave her because she, not always but fairly often, doesn't think that she's the kind of person that deserves what she has or believes that the people who love her truly mean it. Dad said something to me about how every so often something will happen late at night - usually a nightmare - and she'll wake up and either he'll be already pulling her into him or he'll be shifting because he felt her jolt and that she'll be really nervous and start crying, saying terrible things about herself and how everyone - even him - thinks she's those things and then she's really, really nervous in the morning which means that dad is especially affectionate."

"Tai…" Raven muttered though she wasn't surprised by much of what Yang had told her apart from Elizabeth's self-deprecation. "Well, at least he has someone he loves."

"And you were right…" Yang admitted almost inaudibly and Raven began to nervously twist her fingers around her hair before letting it fall freely as Yang forced herself to look at her. "About Ruby. She really is uncle Qrow's daughter...dad and Elizabeth confirmed it. I just...I can't believe that…"

"Yang, things don't have to be like this for you," Raven began, feeling more and more nervous with every word she spoke. "If you want...I would really like it if you joined the tribe. We could be a real family, you and I, and -"

"No…" Yang said, her voice quavering. "And only because I… I can't leave dad...or Violet because she's my half sister and I...I still care about Ruby and...even though she's my cousin she's...she's like a sister to me and…"

"Yang -" Raven gently started.

"No...I...I'm sorry…" Yang said, tears brimming in her eyes. "I can't run away like you did…"

Raven sighed as she summoned her portal. "I'll talk with you later, okay? I love you, Yang, and I promise we'll see each other again. Just…" Raven sighed as she began to step through her eerie red portal. "Keep in mind my offer, because it still stands. But don't put your faith in anyone - especially Ozpin. It will only let you down and, frankly, it will hurt you or bite you in the ass. Especially if it makes it so She won't ever leave you alone like things have for me."

"She?" Yang asked though Raven only shook her head and disappeared through her portal.

It was a hell of a mess. Yang, after a moment in rueful silence, sighed herself and collapsed against the fountain for several minutes until Ruby hesitantly began to walk towards her and sat down next to her, wrapping an arm around her.

"You okay sis?" Ruby asked while Yang refused to meet her gaze. "I mean, it's just that it's really late and -"

"I'm not your sister!" Yang exclaimed, finally breaking and turning to Ruby with her eyes their bright red once again and filling with tears. "Summer Rose may be your mother but Qrow Branwen is your father, not Taiyang Xiao Long!"

Ruby looked at her in shock, her silver eyes hurt and brimming with tears. "No, Yang, that's ridiculous. I mean, come on, if uncle Qrow were my father then I wouldn't call him uncle Qrow. He'd just be dad. But he's not, because dad -"

"No, you don't understand!" Yang exclaimed, though her voice was weak through her sobs. "I didn't believe it at first either because my mom told me -"

"You saw Raven?" Ruby asked, genuinely concerned as she placed a hand on Yang's shoulder. "That sounds rough."

"It was…" Yang admitted through tears. "But she told me that you're...that you're uncle Qrow's daughter and I..and dad and Elizabeth confirmed it to be true…"

"No…" Ruby said, her silver eyes growing wide as she hugged the older girl. "No, Yang, that's not true, it can't be -"

"If you think I'm lying, then ask them…" Yang said, handing Ruby her scroll as she continued to cry. "I am totally serious, just…"

"Okay…" Ruby agreed, just trying to get her to calm as she dialed the call and Tai answered immediately. "Hey dad."

"Ruby?" Tai asked, concerned though his stomach was twisting in knots as he worried that Yang might have told her. "Ruby, is something -"

"...Tai," Elizabeth said sleepily in the background. "...It's two in the morning, what are you doing?"

"...Talking to Ruby," Tai told her and she sighed. "Are you okay, Ruby, really?"

Ruby sighed heavily as her voice shook. "Dad...is uncle Qrow my real father?"

Tai didn't respond while he found his voice.

"Yes..." He said quietly. "Ruby, Qrow is your biological father."

"What?" Ruby exclaimed in shock as she began to cry. "Then why didn't he tell me? How come I didn't know?"

"...Because Qrow has the most selfish ideas imaginable when it comes to his semblance." Elizabeth remarked and Ruby could hear Tai shifting to take her into his arms. "...Tai -"

"...I know," Tai murmured. "Look, Ruby, I know this is a shock, but…"

"Later, okay?" Ruby said quietly and Tai sighed as she hung up the call and turned back to Yang as she handed her scroll back.

Neither girl said anything for the longest time and, despite herself, Ruby started to cry.

"You were right," She forced out.

Yang turned to Ruby, her eyes going back to their natural lavender as she pulled her into a tight hug that was near bone crushing.

"Ruby," Yang kindly told her. "Even if we're cousins, you're like a sister to me. I don't want this to change our relationship because I want to be like sisters with you even if we aren't really."

Ruby nodded and returned her hug as tightly as she could muster. "Okay…Yang...it's just...you're crushing my spine..."

Yang laughed weakly and released her hold a little. "Sorry, Rubes."


	51. Habits (Stay High)

**_June 27th_**

**_Beacon Academy Courtyard_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:37 PM_**

"Weiss!" Ruby screamed, panting slightly as she ran to catch up with Weiss on the main avenue of Beacon, towards the docking bays. "What is the big deal? Who is it? Who is she?"

Smiling as she stopped and Ruby finally caught up, Weiss turned slightly to face her. "Winter."

As soon as the ship landed, it slowly opened the door to allow Atlesian Special Operative Winter Schnee to exit her airship, if escorted by crimson colored Atlesian soldiers and several Atlesian Knight 200s. It was sundown and there were still several streaks of red, orange, and yellow color in the sky while several other Atlesian Military Aircraft flew overhead. The temperature was slightly chill for summer, but it wasn't unpleasant, and there was only a faint breeze and the lingering smell of rain from the previous day's storm. Though she was curious about her partner's sister, a woman that Weiss had spoken so fondly of, she was more so conflicted in her mind about the state of her family. Despite the fact she had agreed to not let the knowledge get between her closeness to Yang, she couldn't deny that it had been keeping her up until she finally dozed off from exhaustion while Zwei licked at her feet. Even more nerve wracking for her was the fact that Tai and Elizabeth both said that Qrow would be back from his mission in a few weeks and so although she had time, she couldn't help but feel nervous though she forced herself to not focus on that for the time being.

"Wait…" Ruby began slowly. "Your sister?"

Weiss nodded as she shouted towards her sister before the two of the ran towards her as she turned to face them. "Winter! Winter, I'm so happy to see you! Oh…" Suddenly remembering her upbringing, Weiss curtsied. "Your presence honors us."

Looking around as she approached them, Winter sighed as she recalled the last time she had been at the Valerian huntsman academy with Emmeline and Emmett.

"Beacon… it's been a long time," She said softly. "The air feels...different."

Awkwardly, Ruby shrugged and began to mumble. "I mean...eh, it's probably colder...so..."

As she punched Ruby in the shoulder, Weiss gasped in pain before turning back to her sister. "So, what are you doing here?"

Winter looked at her sharply. "Classified."

Weiss bit back her nerves. "Oh, right. Well, how long are you staying?"

Winter sighed. "Classified."

"Of course." Weiss said as she smiled weakly while nodding in understanding as Ruby looked about the silence curiously before assessing the situation.

"Well...this is nice...I think."

"You're going to love it here!" Weiss exclaimed, letting her excitement take her over. "I know you travel a lot but so much of Beacon is different from Atlas!" Continuing with a faint whisper, Weiss smiled even brighter. "Vale, too. The government and school are completely separate! Can you believe it? I -"

Winter narrowed her eyes, addressing the stress of being back with her cold facade. "I'm more than familiar with how this kingdom handles its...bureaucracy. That is not why I came."

"Right!" Weiss said quickly. "I'm sorry!"

"Nor did I come here to watch my own blood fail so miserably in battle." Winter told her with her sharp gaze still retained as she couldn't help but wish that Weiss had been trained more like she had, believing that it would have made her more skilled. "But it appears that I have no choice in the matter."

Weiss looked at her in utter confusion. "But...we won!"

"Only a novice would refer to that as a victory," Winter replied as she began to turn to her security. "I counted at least three strikes missed. Leave us." Sighing before smiling at her sister with a little more genuine warmth, Winter continued. "How have you been?"

"Oh, splendid!" Weiss said, her excitement returning. "Thank you for asking. I'm actually in the very top ranking of our sparring class, and the rest of my studies are going wonderfully too! I'm -"

Irritated and unable to restrain herself, Winter slapped Weiss. "Silence, you boob! I don't recall asking about your ranking, I'm asking how you've been. Are you eating properly? Have you taken up any hobbies? Are you making new friends?"

Weiss shrugged nervously, knowing that the last thing Winter wanted to hear was that she was more or less lonely still. "Well, there's Ruby."

Poking the spot on Weiss's head where Winter had slapped her, Ruby giggled childishly. "Heh...boob."

Tightening herself, Winter applied all of her self-restraint in her reply. "I see. So this is the leader you wrote of. How appropriately...underwhelming."

Ruby looked at both of the Schnee sisters in confusion. "Uh...thank you!"

"Greetings. Ruby Rose," Winter said, forcing herself to be pleasant though in spite of her surface misgivings she was relieved that Weiss had a friend other than their cousins and the General and Glynda's daughters. "I wish to thank you for taking an interest in my sister."

Does she know that I'm romantically interested in her sister or not? Does she know that we've actually kissed? Ruby thought before she responded awkwardly. "Oh! Uh, yes, of course!" In an attempt to salute and curtsy, Ruby found herself nearly falling to the ground and began to wave her arms wildly until she managed to steady herself. "The honour is in my...court!"

Turning back to her sister, Winter smiled genuinely again. "I have business with the General and your Headmaster. But, seeing as I'm early, why don't you take me to your quarters?"

Weiss looked at her with her eyes wide. "Really?"

Beginning to walk towards the main gates of the Academy while followed by the elder Schnee's security detail, Winter continued. "Yes. I wish to inspect them to make sure that they are up to my personal standards."

Weiss nodded. "Of course. Just so you're aware, the bunk beds only look unstable."

The concept was almost revolting to her. "Bunk beds?"

Waving behind them as she wandered off to think, Ruby tried to imitate their diction. "I'll catch up - I mean, I will...reconvene with you both at a later...juncture!" Raising a finger before stepping away, Ruby began to reassure herself, missing the sight of Qrow by mere minutes. "At a juncture. Yeah."

Continuing to walk along the main avenue of Beacon Academy, however, Winter and Weiss, alongside the Specialist's security, steadily made their way to into the Beacon Academy courtyard without realizing that they were being followed. Incredibly drunk from his time in one of the local bars of the City Of Vale, Qrow Branwen nevertheless had Harbinger with him in case of a fight which, a part of him, he was hoping to find. Apart from still being annoyed that James, Emmeline, and the Atlas Military were in Vale, he was also stressed by the news he had received from Elizabeth and Tai about Yang both having met with Raven by accident and learning about his daughter, going as far as telling Ruby. He wasn't terribly surprised by Yang's choice but it made him nervous to know that his daughter might be angry with him. At the very least, he knew she was going to have more than a few questions for him. That didn't even include the fact that he had information for Ozpin and the absolute last thing he wanted to do was to walk in on another fight. Especially if became less than innocent. Reaching one of the AK-200s, Qrow promptly decapitated one before kicking the head towards the group while still holding the rest of it.

"Hey!" Qrow shouted as they all turned to see him while he tossed the android aside. "Yeah, I'm talking to you, Ice Queen!"

"Halt!" Winter commanded one of the AK-200s as it began to advance with a raised rifle.

Unrestrained, Weiss angrily walked up to his face, snapping. "Excuse me! Do you have any idea who you are talking to?"

Placing a hand on Weiss's face as he pushed her aside, Qrow began to clarify as he glared at Winter while she narrowed her gaze. "Ssshhh...not you. You. Saw that gaudy ship of yours in town. I guess you're here too."

Winter replied shortly. "I'm standing right before you."

Squinting at her in large part due to the alcohol, Qrow shrugged. "So it would seem."

Winter continued in irritation that was only increasing. "You realize you just destroyed Atlas Military property."

"Oh...oh I'm sorry!" Qrow told her sarcastically, his hands up as he looked around. "See, I mistook this for some sort of...sentient garbage."

Walking towards him, a hand on one of her swords, Winter glared. "I don't have time for your immature games, Qrow."

Weiss looked at her in shock. "Wait...you two know each other?"

Qrow and Winter both ignored her as they continued their increasingly heated row. "Geez...you Atlas Specialists think you're so special, don't you?"

"It's in the title," Winter told him irritably.

"Well, you know what you really are?" Qrow asked her rhetorically before answering his own question. "A bunch of sellouts, just like your boss."

Winter's eyes narrowed as her voice shook. "I'm not sure what you think you're implying, but I've heard enough."

"Oh I heard too," Qrow told her with a smirk. "I heard ol' Ironwood finally turned his back on Ozpin."

"Ozpin?" Weiss asked, puzzled as her sister shoved her aside.

"Weiss, it's time for you to go."

"What -"

"Listen to big sister, Weiss," Qrow told her seriously before shifting back to his sarcasm. "She'll protect you, just like Atlas is going to protect all of us, huh."

Drawing her sword, Winter glared. "If you won't hold your tongue, then I will gladly remove it for you!"

Slicking back his hair, Qrow smirked once again. "Alright then… come take it."

Beginning to charge at Qrow, having lost her temper, Winter made several quick jabs towards his head though he easily evaded her blade and had the nerve to tease her before bowing mockingly before her blade was blocked by Harbinger's base; Qrow quickly drew his scythe and left it unopened as he pointed towards her while they fought blade to blade before he managed to swipe at her aggressively - something she managed to avoid through several back handsprings. Managing to block his great sword, they moved quickly as they traded blows though he didn't notice his daughter entering the crowd by the side of her partner.

"What's going on?" Ruby asked her, her voice quick.

Weiss crossed her arms, replying irritably. "Some crazy guy just started attacking my sister!"

"Oh no! Who would do such a thing -" Ruby exclaimed in shock before seeing her opponent, her heart sinking and a sickening feeling growing inside her as she ran off to find Yang. "I'll be back later…"

Running quickly to her team's dormitory, Ruby half kicked open the door and Yang and Blake both screamed and she covered her mouth in embarrassment when she realized that Yang had pinned Blake down on her bed and was on top of her, kissing her intensely. Awkwardly attempting to cover herself though neither of their clothes had come off, Yang shook her head and looked at her sister in shock while Caitlin, Sam , and Lysithea slowly entered the room, looking at all of them in confusion before Sam realized what had been going on and whispered it to Caitlin who squeaked awkwardly, blushed, and buried her face in Sam's shoulder while she laughed. Simply wrapping an arm around Blake's waist, Yang looked from Caitlin and Sam to her sister before sighing heavily.

"Are you alright, Rubes?" Yang asked gently. "You look like you just saw the grimm reaper."

Ruby's hands shook as she met her sister's gaze. "Qrow's here...and he's fighting...Winter Sch -"

"He's fighting my cousin?" Sam asked, beginning to laugh.

"Damn…" Lysithea shrieked excitedly. "I have to see that!"

"Guys!" Yang exclaimed angrily. "Shut the fuck up, this is a sensitive thing for Ruby."

"Why?" Sam asked, her face in perfect, genuine confusion. "I mean -"

"Qrow is my dad…" Ruby admitted quietly and staring at her feet while all except Yang looked at her in surprise. "And...and I don't know…"

"Hey," Yang said releasing herself from around Blake and bending down in front of her cousin, stroking her arms. "Rubes, it's going to be okay. Do you want us to come with you so you can -"

"I'm scared, Yang!" Ruby exclaimed, curling into a ball as she fell to the floor. "I don't know what to do, or to say, or to...to..."

"Rubes," Yang said, hoisting her up off the floor. "It's okay, we'll go together. Just be yourself because nothing has changed...except for knowing."

Though Ruby nodded, she was far from convinced as they all made their way back to the courtyard, seeing Winter flying towards Qrow and separating her sword so that she had both of her blades in hand though Qrow managed to block her attack, the arch collapsing under the force that had collided into it. Continuing to fight fervently, Qrow found himself being forced backwards, dragging Harbinger into the ground to slow himself while holding it in one hand as the crowd of students from all four academies cheered and he met the gaze of Emmett Schnee and Emmeline Ciel who had been walking past with their seven-year-old son. Emmett seemed to have found himself unsure of who to support before he met his niece's gaze, winked at her, and began to yell excitedly in response to the fight.

"Winter!" Emmett screamed, half bouncing while his wife shook her head and probed her forehead in exasperation. "Kick the old man's ass!"

Qrow glared at him. "You're older than me, Schnee!" He yelled back. "And I don't give a fuck about your ridiculous long, white, wavy hair or that sword of yours! My scythe and hair are so much better!"

Turning back to his opponent as Winter stabbed one of her swords tightly into the ground, Qrow rolled his eyes as he saw her use a summoning glyph to create a large flock of diminutive, white Nevermores that began to fly towards him furiously. Almost blindly swinging his sword at the flock before adopting a more defensive stance while some of them turned to pale, wispy clouds of steam before he sent an amplified shock of his aura towards her - an act which forced her to jump back and eliminate the summoned grimm. Her anger guiding her, she summoned a new glyph behind her as he began to transform his sword to a scythe in its clockwork gear sequence but immediately sheathing it while motioning her towards him as Emmett and Emmeline yelled at her to not attack. Not listening to her uncle and aunt in her still dominant anger, Winter propelled herself forward though stopping just as the tip of her blade grew close to Qrow's throat upon hearing the voice of the last person she wanted to have witnessed the preceding events.

"Schnee!" General Ironwood yelled from behind her, Penny Polendina nearby.

Lowering her blades quickly and nervously meeting his gaze, she flustered. "General Ironwood, sir!"

"What in the world do you think you're doing?" He asked as he approached her, followed by Penny.

Winter replied quickly, still incredibly nervous. "He started the altercation sir!"

"That's actually not true," Qrow said as he set his hands behind his head, relaxed. "She attacked first."

Looking at Winter, unsure of what to believe, James narrowed his gaze. "Is that right?" The struggle she was having in defense was enough to confirm what Qrow was saying although the general looked at the man irritably as he pointed to himself in mock confusion.

"And you," James said, lowering his voice as he approached him. "What are you doing here?"

Qrow glared. "I could be asking you the same thing."

James flinched. "I -"

"Now, now, everyone," Ozpin began, arriving alongside Glynda, who was glaring at everyone with her arms crossed while he swirled his cocoa. "There is a sanctioned fight happening just around the corner at the Colosseum, that I can assure you has better seats… and popcorn."

"Break it up, everyone!" Glynda snapped, swinging her crop and glaring at Qrow and Winter, and at a lesser level, James. "We will take care of this mess."

"Let's go," James told Winter.

Emmeline and Emmett watched them all start off towards Beacon Tower. A moment passed in silence and they shared a knowing look before Emmett shrugged, pulled off his shoe, and smacked Qrow upside the head with it.

"Motherfucker, Schnee…" Qrow muttered, rubbing his head while he could see his daughter watching him nervously out of the corner of his eye, "The fuck was that for?"

"Is that a serious question?" Emmett scowled and adjusted his glasses while Emmeline started towards him with their seven-year-old son (who was far more excited than she would have liked) in tow. "You just had to show up here and start a -"

"Emmett…" Ozpin muttered to his wife, who rolled her eyes upon seeing her brother restrained by his wife to stop him from causing more trouble for both himself and everyone present.

"Like always," Cristal remarked, half amused by the scene she had walked in on. "What happened?"

"Qrow and Winter had a fight," Ozpin told her, and she chuckled despite the situation. "And it's not as if Emmett and Qrow have ever…"

"Gotten along?" Cristal shook her head. "Damn it, what's he…"

"Emmy, come on!" Emmett protested. "Someone needs to put him in his place, and -"

"Not now," Emmeline sent him a pointed look and subtly gestured to their son. "Okay, and –"

"Okay," Emmett sighed, and she released him. He then walked away from Qrow and picked up his son, ruffling his hair affectionately. "So, Eddie, do you want to go see a sanctioned fight?"

While they continued to talk quietly, Qrow met Ruby's gaze and, however hesitantly, ran his fingers through his messy hair before slowly walking towards her. It was then he noticed that the Ironwood-Goodwitch kids, Samara Ciel-Schnee, and Lysithea Ciel-Schnee shared a look before leaving the Xiao Long-Rose-Branwens alone. Ruby clutched Yang's arms as she found herself unsteady as a result of her nerves. Looking at her sympathetically, Qrow didn't say anything until Ruby hesitantly jumped onto his outstretched arm in an attempt at normalcy that was struggling for both of them. Patting her head and gently setting her down, Qrow shook himself as he forced himself to meet her awkward gaze as she stared at him, trying to comprehend the fact that he really was her father.

"Hi...Q…Qrow…" Ruby stammered, waving her hand nervously.

"Ruby," Qrow said, tentatively pulling her into a hug that she half-heartedly returned. "Tai told me that you -"

"That I know...that I kn...know that I'm your...daugh… daughter…" Ruby said quietly and Qrow nodded, tears in his eyes and fear rising in his heart. "I...I…"

"Ruby -" He started.

"Why...why didn't you tell me?" Ruby asked, tears falling out of her and he sighed heavily, pulling the small girl in to him. "Why -"

"Qrow!" Ozpin said, as the huntsman turned to look at him, gently releasing his hold around his daughter. "A word, please."

Glynda and Cristal shared a knowing look while the Goodwitch repaired the courtyard with her semblance.

"That was so cool mommy!" Jake Ironwood-Goodwitch exclaimed, causing Glynda to sigh. "The fight, the —"

"If you pull a stunt like that," She warned him. "You will get grounded."

Jake shrugged. "You and daddy just watch us like hawks after we do stupid shit."

"If you're trying to take inspiration for Carleigh, don't," Cristal told him, somewhat amused. "She's lucky not to have ever been arrested."

"When Cate was seventeen she used to trespass onto construction sites to take photographs!" Jake protested. "And she's never —"

"You used to trespass onto construction sites?" Glynda turned incredulously to her eldest, who awkwardly rubbed her neck and sent her brother a dark look.

"Well…" She started. "They were never active construction sites, and I was careful, and I never got caught because it was the dead of midday summer around the neighborhood. I was never in any danger!"

Glynda shook her head. "That was reckless at best."

Cate considered that. "Jake punched a kid last year because they pulled out a hunting knife and threatened to shank him."

"That was totally different!" Jake exclaimed, scowling at her. "I didn't provoke that! What about the fullbacks you stopped from fighting in the ninth grade?"

Cate scoffed. "They were being obnoxious —"

"You're a tiny girl that's only 5'3"!" Jake reminded her. "That was a huge deal!"

"Oh, really?" She countered for the sake of argument. "How about that girlfriend of yours? She still a pussy-whipper?"

She paused when it occurred to her that she had made that statement far louder than she had intended to.

"Did…" Qrow shook his head and Ruby laughed, both of them temporarily distracted. "Wow, for someone who can be squeamish and unaware of a lot of social cues, she's certainly got a mouth on her."

Ruby snickered. "I wonder if Yang tries to gross her out."

Qrow sighed and began to speak discreetly, hating the urge he felt to be serious. "Ruby," He said gently. "It was never that I didn't want you, please don't ever think that, but it was because I didn't want to hurt you because of my semblance. We'll talk tomorrow okay...because I think I'm in trouble…."

Ruby bit her lip and laughed a little. "You did kind of tear apart our courtyard."

"Yeah, I did," Qrow said, winking and giving her a fist bump and hug before walking off to join Emmett, Emmeline, Ozpin, Cristal, and Glynda. "Catch you later, kid."

* * *

**_June 27th_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:34 PM _**

"You're…hotter than I ever expected…"

Adam Taurus climbed back on top of Ivory Ironwood Goodwitch, who had just snuck out of Beacon an hour before. It was dark in the apartment, and there was a faint breeze that played with her hair and the curtains nearby. Her clothes were on the dusty floor, as were his, and she could feel every sensation his skin on hers. She had never felt so alive, and she liked the danger that seemed to go along with every moment she spent with him. Even her weapons were on the floor near his. The sun was almost gone from the sky, and the night air was calmer than it had been in a long time. Ivy thought not of what her family would have to say if they knew about these stolen moments, and she pushed aside whatever trepidation that she had felt. It didn't matter. Not here and not now.

"I'm glad you think so," Ivy breathlessly replied, gasping when he pushed himself inside her again. "Adam!"

"Sorry," He said, gruffly beginning to kiss her again. "You like this, don't you?"

"I…love it…" Ivy started laughing when he ruffled her hair. "Just don't…don't let my parents find out."

Adam scoffed and pressed a kiss to her cheek.

"Believe me," He said, nibbling at her neck. "I'd never let a fucking general find out about these moments I get with you. You're an enigma, but I'd rather keep…"

"I was wrong…" Ivy said, her voice slightly raspy. "About…you and what everyone says. You've made mistakes, you're misguided, but –"

"Atlas has done a lot of wrong," Adam let out an almost primal yell. "Vale too…but you're…not like them. You're an asset, and a –"

"Adam –" Ivy started, gasping for air.

"You are mine," Adam growled, biting down on her collarbone as he spent inside her. "I don't give a damn what anyone has to say about it, you are –"

"This is all…" Ivy felt as if the world was spinning around her. "It's all too fast…"

"It doesn't matter how fast we move something," Adam told her. "Not when we are the revolution."

* * *

**_June 27th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:17 PM_**

Qrow Branwen stood eye to eye with James Ironwood who was narrowing his gaze at him further.

"We're the ones that keep the world safe from the evils no one even knows about!" The huntsman finally snapped. "It's why we meet behind closed doors, why we work in the shadows. So, you tell me, James, when you brought your army to Vale, did you think you were being discreet, or did you just not give a damn?"

Staring down at Qrow and placing his scroll onto Ozpin's desk, James turned to face them and met his wife's slightly concerned look. "Discreet wasn't working," He said, gesturing to the hologram of Vale, Beacon Academy, the Amity Colosseum and the fleet of Atlesian Airships. "I am here because this is what was necessary."

Qrow gave a short, mirthless laugh. "You're here because Ozpin wanted you here! He made you a part of this inner circle and opened your eyes to the real fight that's in front of us!"

James looked at him seriously as he responded. "And I am grateful."

"Oh," Qrow commented dryly. "Well you've got a real funny way of showing it."

"The people of Vale needed someone to protect them, someone who would act," James told him while Glynda sighed. "When they look to the sky and see my fleet, they feel safe, and our enemies will feel our strength."

Qrow started to laugh and shook his head. "You...you think they're scared of your little ships? I've been out there and I've seen the things She's made, and let me tell you: they are fear."

"No," Emmeline said gesturing to the security with one hand tightly in Emmett's. "James is right. If the Valerian council wasn't going to act...well there's a reason that Elizabeth and Ronnie have been very clear about not being held responsible for this kingdom's failures."

Ozpin looked to all of them for a long moment, sighing upon his wife gently setting a hand to his shoulder.

"But fear will bring the grimm. A guardian is a symbol of comfort...but an army is a symbol of conflict. There's an energy in the air now, a question in the back of everyone's minds…" Gesturing to the display, Ozpin shook his head. "If this is the size of our defenses, then what is it we're expecting to fight?"

Glaring at them before sighing and picking up his scroll as it flashed subtly with Cinder's Red Queen, James hesitantly wrapped an arm around Glynda and, to his surprise, she didn't fight it and instead leaned into him while he pushed up her glasses. "So then, what would you suggest we do?"

Ozpin looked at all of them irritably. "I suggest we find our guardian."

"Not my daughter," Emmett snarled, still terrified by the idea of Sam or Lysithea possibly becoming the Fall Maiden. "Either of them, and I don't -"

"Emmett…" Ozpin said, tired of hearing this every time the subject came up. "I know."

"Yes, that's very comforting," Emmeline told him, with a faint scowl towards Cristal, whose nails started to dig into Ozpin's shoulder. "And…" She said, glancing towards Glynda and James sympathetically. "It better not be their daughters either."

Ozpin hesitated, noticing the visibly rising tension of both Glynda and James.

"Ivy has expressed -" Cristal eventually started.

"No way in hell," Glynda told her, her dominant right hand tightening around her riding crop's dark purple base. "I'll take on that power myself and put myself at risk before I let you do the same to my daughter."

"Glynda, while I'm not saying it's impossible, you're forty four years old and the powers are inclined more naturally towards women between seventeen and thirty five. It's already a dangerous procedure and we haven't the slightest idea what having another's aura tangled with someone else's and, if something were to go wrong…" Ozpin sighed. "I will not let you risk your life for it, not after what I've seen the powers of a maiden do to my own wife. Not to mention that you're a close personal friend and –"

"And Ivy isn't even twenty until September!" Glynda shouted in exasperation. "One of my daughters already told you no, which you accepted, but, since Ivy is willing, you're alright with that? If it could kill me or anyone else, if the powers have –"

"I was never meant to have these powers," Cristal said softly, staring at her feet and brushing tears away from her eyes behind her glasses. "And it's…"

"If it's caused you so much…" Glynda shook her head. "It just as well could kill Ivy and -"

"Glynda…" Ozpin said, shaking his head and leaning against his desk while she, Emmett, Emmeline, and James shared a look. "No."

James glared at Ozpin before pulling his shaking wife closer. "If she wants to do this, then let her. If you won't listen to me, we can have Elizabeth -"

"Oh, fuck that," Emmett said, shaking in anger as he approached the headmaster. "We won't even just get Elizabeth Morell's support, we'll get the support of the Atlesian Council -"

"And then Ronnie personally," Emmeline put in angrily. "We can –"

"Emmeline!" Ozpin exclaimed irritably. "You and Emmett aren't thinking rationally at all!"

"Maybe," Emmett said as he shook. "But I also confronted my sister the other day, and so did Glynda -"

"I know!" Ozpin shouted, finally losing his temper and pulling his tinted glasses off and setting them aside. "Okay, fine! Glynda, if you really want to, we can attempt to transfer the powers of the Fall Maiden to you! But I hope you know exactly what the possible consequences of doing so could be! Because if this succeeds, not only will Salem never leave you alone, you will be one of the most powerful magic users in Remnant! And if it fails, you could die!"

Shaking as she started to walk towards the elevator, Glynda sighed as James pulled her into him tightly while Emmett, Emmeline, and Cristal stared at their friends in concern. "Believe me...I know. Just...just get things ready as soon as possible."

Ozpin collapsed into his chair and buried his face in his hands. "It will all be ready for the transfer in a few weeks."


	52. So Now Hold On

**_July 13th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:18 PM_**

"You'll never beat me, old man!" Ruby screamed in spite of how nervous she was as she and Qrow played video games.

Smirking as he looked at her, Qrow laughed. "You're nothing but talk, kid!"

Yang clasped her hands together and started to shout support for her cousin while watching the screen as the pixelated ninjas continued to battle. "You can do it, Ruby!"

"Soaring Ninja Wins!" The game's announcer declared as Qrow's ninja decapitated Ruby's. "Total Annihilation!"

Grinning at his victory though feeling slightly marred when he noticed his daughter lower her head in shame, Qrow's own nerves resurfaced when he heard Yang whispering to Ruby. "Ouch."

Still attempting to be normal, Qrow smirked at his daughter who half-heartedly returned it. "And by the way, don't ever call me old."

"My turn!" Yang screamed, pushing Ruby out of her spot and grabbing the spinning control out of the air.

"New Challenger Approaches!" The game declared and Qrow began thinking to himself before speaking.

"Now...where was I?"

Hesitantly popping up behind them, Ruby began a little nervously though excitement grew as she went on. "You were...telling us about your last mission!"

"Right...right…" Qrow said with a smirk, his plan to ruin Yang's chances of winning beginning to formulate in his mind. "I'd come across a small village in the swamps west of Mistral. Right off the bat, I knew something wasn't right."

Despite still feeling terribly nervous, Ruby's awe overtook her. "What were you doing there."

"I needed information," Qrow told her, his voice still deadly serious. "Tired from battling grimm along the way, I decided to start my search at the town's inn. The place was crawling with lowlifes and thugs, even a few huntsmen that I could assume had been hired by less than reputable people for less than respectable jobs...and that's when it happened."

"What happened?" Yang asked excitedly, none of them noticing Elizabeth coming into the room as the woman glanced at information on her scroll.

"I was defeated! By the mere sight…" Grinning maniacally, Qrow declared what he had seen wildly, remembering the night with the maid well despite the fact that she had gotten him beyond simply drunk. "Of the innkeeper's skirt length!"

Angrily looking up and slapping Qrow on the back of the head, Elizabeth glared at him while he turned around and her step-daughter threw a pillow at him that he, regretfully, caught to both Yang and Elizabeth's ire. "Qrow Branwen! The hell are you thinking, telling -"

"Soaring Ninja Wins!" The game declared once again, causing Elizabeth to roll her eyes. "Total Annihilation!'

"You are the worst!" Yang screamed, crossing her arms.

"I have to agree with her," Elizabeth said, still glaring at the huntsman. "And, besides this, what were you thinking, provoking a fight with Winter Schnee the other day? Do you have any idea, any idea… just even the faintest…" Groaning irritably as she crossed her arms, Elizabeth tried to calm herself. "You can't just go around destroying Atlas military property and, considering that there are significantly more Special Operatives and soldiers here in Vale than there are AK-200s, I really hope that you won't attempt to decapitate them as well."

"Oh, calm down Eliza," Qrow said, while he laughed at both her and Yang's anger though he looked to his niece. "Best two out of three?"

Yang didn't respond though Ruby sat down on Weiss's bed. "So, did you get in trouble with Ozpin?"

Elizabeth scoffed. "Ruby, if there's one thing I want you to remember about Qrow it's that he, no matter what he does, never gets in trouble with Ozpin."

"How would you know that?" Qrow asked her, standing up and pulling her in by the waist though he stopped when she slapped him. "What, Eliza, you don't like me flirting with you?"

Forcing herself not to stomp her foot like Rose would, Elizabeth opted to slap him again. "For fuck's sake, I've never liked you, I'm married, and I -"

"Qrow, get your arm off from around my wife," Tai said as he came into the room though he didn't need to when Elizabeth kneed Qrow in the groin and he fell down glaring at her and howling in pain while Elizabeth gave him a self satisfied smirk. "Eliza, was that -"

"Yes, it was necessary!" Elizabeth snapped, turning around and wrapping her arms around his neck. "I needed to teach him a -"

Swiftly kissing her, Tai smiled and held her close. "I guess, maybe, you're right."

"I beg to differ," Qrow said, getting off the floor and looking at Ruby before answering her question about the previous day. "Nah, Rubes, me and Oz go way back. We're cool."

Yang scoffed and smirked slightly, still angry about her loss and his sexual quip. "Cool for an old guy."

"Hey…" Qrow said, anger taking him over temporarily. "Not funny."

"Yes, it is," Elizabeth told him and he shifted to glare at him. "What?"

Qrow clicked his tongue and reached for the video game controller. "Elizabeth, I'm in my late thirties and you're almost fifty. So, if anyone here can call the other old, it's any of us to you. Not that you look at all you age, of course."

"So...what are you doing here anyways?" Ruby asked him, a little shaky. "I thought da - Tai - said that you would be on a mission for like...ever."

"Well," Qrow said as he continued to play. "A professional huntsman like myself is expected to get results, as soon as possible."

"Yeah...I get that," Ruby said, laughing in spite of herself. "We're pretty much pros too."

Elizabeth started to laugh though she stopped when she met Tai's gaze and Qrow responded. "Oh, really?"

"Uh, yeah!" Yang declared. "Read the news sometime. We totally saved Vale while you were gone!"

More restrained, Elizabeth looked at Tai with a raised eyebrow, her eyes not hiding that she was thinking, You've got to be kidding me. "Yang," She started slowly. "I think you're forgetting that the majority of the grimm were stopped by the Atlas Military and -"

Qrow rolled his eyes and cut her off to continue. "Funny, Yang, because I heard Vale suffered a grimm attack after you almost managed to stop a train." Leaning over as he rubbed his victory in his niece's face while the console kept declaring his victory, Qrow went on. "But they don't give out medals for 'almost'."

Ruby responded indignantly. "They do, and it's called silver!"

"Well, we helped take down Roman Torchwick!" Yang countered. "He's locked up in Ironwood's ship and crime's been down ever since! That's basically a bounty mission!"

"Sure," Qrow agreed. "You may be acting like huntresses but you're not thinking like one. You really think four girls and their friends could end all crime in a kingdom? Because even with Ironwood's daughter and Schnee and Ciel's kids, or even Oz's you all -"

Yang glared. "Hey, we're -"

"Teenagers," Qrow said with a shrug. "Impulsive ones at that, too."

Tapping her fingers together as she changed the subject for Yang's sake, Ruby sighed. "I mean, I did think we could do that until you said that…"

"Violence hasn't dropped since Roman got nabbed - it's stopped, completely," Qrow told them, deadly serious though Elizabeth tensed in fear of him saying too much. "No White Fang activity around the city. You cut off the head of the King Taijitu, but now the second head's calling the shots -"

"Qrow…" Elizabeth began dangerously and he sighed before finishing.

"That's what Ironwood can't get through that thick metal head of his," Qrow went on. "Ciel too. Having soldiers and Special Operatives in Vale alongside some AK-200s, please, that's not going to do -"

"Qrow Branwen, that is just a precaution!" Elizabeth snapped. "And a necessary one too, one that I have expressed full support for though not without warning to the Valerian Council because if they attempt to throw Atlas under the -"

"Shut up, Elizabeth," Qrow said and she looked at him in shock. "Ah, see you're used to people listening to you now, aren't you? Well, let me remind you of where you've been...for starters, you sold your soul to Cinder Fall so that you could live when any of us would have died instead of doing so -"

"Qrow!" Tai exclaimed in horror. "That's not fair -"

"Yes, it is," Qrow said, glaring at Elizabeth who was shaking. "Now, in the end you did turn her in but only after you were at risk for being indicted and were appearing before the Atlesian Department Of Justice. Now, I'm not saying you're a terrible person because you've done so much since then to fix your mistakes but that doesn't mean they still aren't there. You had Blake Adel and Ronnie Ciel on your side, and now you're the chair of the Atlesian security council, Adel's still the head of the DOJ, and Ciel's the fucking president. This is something you don't understand, Elizabeth. The past doesn't just die, it stays as a reminder and while I can tell you're trying, you're still the -"

"The fuck, Qrow!" Elizabeth exclaimed, tears streaming down her face. "You...you haven't even the slightest idea what that woman did to me! She...she tortured...beat...and...and…" Pushing up one of the sleeves of her blazer, Elizabeth revealed a deep scar on her arm that went all the way from the bottom of her inner wrist to about half way up her arm. "She intentionally harmed me to keep me silent...and these aren't the only scars...there's the one...the one on my back and...the one that...that...that…"

"Eliza," Tai said while she shook and he brought her closer. "Baby, shh...shh...I've got you. She's not going to harm you again."

"Tai, during the…" Elizabeth continued to cry into him while Qrow felt guilt rising in his chest for making her cry. "Emmett, Cristal, Emmeline, and I almost had her but…"

"I know," Tai said, rubbing her back. "But she'll be caught, just like she was before and just like Roman was."

Trying to ease the tension in the room, Yang sighed after exchanging a look with Ruby, both girls having heard and seen these fights more than once in the last few years. "You...know the General? I mean, more than just a few brief interactions when we were in Atlas?"

In spite of the guilt, Qrow laughed. "Hey, I know everybody to some extent. Remember, you're talking to a member of the coolest team that graduated Beacon!" Reaching behind him as Tai continued to comfort Elizabeth, Qrow pulled out an old photograph of Team STRQ and Yang's eyes widened when he saw her mother and remembered her offer, still a little conflicted as Qrow continued with a sigh as he lingered on Summer Rose. "Hah, Team STRQ...that's where I met your parents. We were pretty well known back in the day."

Ruby stared at the image of her mother before looking at Qrow and speaking quietly. "What was mom like?"

Sighing and handing the picture to Yang, Qrow moved over to his daughter and wrapped an arm around her. "Ruby, Sums loved you so much. The day she found out she was pregnant with you… well, she was exhilarated. Pinned me to the floor and kissed me before telling me, actually. I loved her so much, and I was so happy when you were born but I was scared of hurting either of you because of my semblance of misfortune. She wasn't though, she always encouraged to me to be around you as much as possible and, I'll be perfectly honest, despite the fear, those were some of the best moments of my life, seeing my daughter giggling and happy. Summer and I...I was afraid of marrying her because I didn't want to risk hurting her so we deliberated for months. I was too late...the...the…" Finally crying as Ruby looked at him and felt tears fighting at her eyes as well, Qrow sighed and continued regardless. "I was going to propose to her the day that...the day that that bitch killed her."

Ruby hesitated. "Who killed her?"

Forcing himself to look at her, Qrow fought with the anger that arose every time he thought of the woman. "Listen to me, Ruby, there's always been a very good reason why I've always told you and Yang to never trust a Schnee. Now, the two of you haven't ever listened to me but here's why you should. Your mother...my beautiful, loving Summer Rose...was killed by Emmett and Cristal's sister…" Bitterness rose heavily as he went on. "Ashlynn Schnee, though you know her as Cinder Fall."

"That's enough," Elizabeth said, looking at Qrow and then the photograph. "And if you think you were well known, apart from Tai, you were known for having a shitty fashion sense."

"Hey!" Qrow exclaimed glaring at her while Tai laughed and kissed her forehead. "It wasn't just Tai who looked good! And I have a number of inappropriate stories to back that up!" Noticing Yang's continued stare at Raven and the slight confliction warring in her face, Qrow took the picture back from her and put it away. "But I'll save those for when they're older."

Recoiling in disgust, Ruby shook her head. "Oh, gross!"

"So…" Qrow said as he got up and began to walk out. "Elizabeth, let me guess, you have something you need me to answer for?"

"Damn right," Elizabeth told him, crossing her arms as she leaned into to Tai. "Let me count the ways…"

Sighing as he looked at his daughter, niece, and even Zwei asleep on Blake's bed, Qrow finished his thought. "Look, just remember that you've still got a long way to go...and don't think for a second that graduating means you're done. Every day out there is worth a week in this place. You two, you're going to go far, but only if you keep learning. If you never stop moving forward."

* * *

**_July 23rd_**

**_Beacon Academy Vault_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:38 PM_**

There was a palpable tension in the elevator, and not only because Rosalinde Varna was perhaps too close to Ozpin for comfort, which was, in part, why he was holding his wife so closely. Emmett was shaky with Emmeline's hand tightly in his. They were just as, if not more, nervous as Glynda and James were. Glynda herself was scared, if she were being perfectly honest, but she wouldn't admit it. While James had been attempting to be strong, he too was struggling. Shifting as the doors opened, Ozpin kept one hand on his cane and an arm wrapped snugly around his wife. Emmett was forcing his hands to be steady as much as he could in Emmeline's while even Qrow was looking at Glynda in concern. She simply adjusted her glasses and continued to walk down the dimly lit hallway with James next to her. The ominous glow of Amber and her life support systems grew closer still though it wasn't until they were right by it and Ozpin was readying the system to transfer that anyone spoke.

"Glynda…" James said, pulling her close while she sighed. "Glyns, really, you don't have to do this if you don't want to."

"I do want to," Glynda told him, burying her face in his chest. "I'm scared, James, but I have to do this."

"No, you don't!" James exclaimed, looking at her in fear of what could possibly happen to her should something go wrong. "Glynda, I love you and if I lost you -"

"I know," Glynda said, her tears weighing down her eyelashes, fogging her glasses as she shifted and leaned heavily against the wall "I know what could happen to me and I am going to take that risk anyways."

James didn't respond for a moment as he rested his head in his hands, terrified still. "Whatever choice you make...I'll support you through it. You deserve that and I can't and shouldn't tell you what to do."

She shifted to look at him and temporarily removing her glasses to wipe them off on the billowing sleeves of her blouse. Sighing heavily as she carefully put them back on, Glynda practically threw herself on top of him and kissed him passionately before curling into him.

"James..." She said softly. "I love you."

"I love you too, Glynda…" James murmured, unclasping her hair and letting it flow freely as he lightly trailed his fingers through her wavy, platinum blonde locks. "I really do."

Gently pushing herself out of his arms, Glynda shook as she glanced at Amber and reminded herself what she was doing. Looking away, she focused on the wide corridor and its intersection that led to where the relic was held but she tried not to dwell on that and what that was going to mean for her soon enough. Lightly shaking her hair while her pale skin almost reflected the grim light coming from the torches but also the life support system, a faint jolt of guilt rose in her for Amber's sake. About to climb into the pod, she felt herself stopped by Cristal, who pulled her into a tight embrace before looking at James and then to her before sighing in regret and anxiety.

"I'm going to be okay," Glynda told the prosecutor when she released her and let Ozpin place a gentle hand to her shoulder. "And we all agreed this is what we needed to do."

Rose snorted. "Unless, of course, you die."

"Rose!" Qrow growled. "You're making this worse.

Her vibrant green eyes meeting James's blue, Glynda forced herself not to cry and handed him her crop. James held her close for a lingering moment before letting her go and finally climb into the pod, which closed behind her. Emmett sighed and looked at James nervously while Ozpin began to enter the codes to transfer Amber's aura into Glynda.

"I don't like this," Emmeline said, her hand tightening around Emmett's.

"I don't either," James replied though he shook his head as he looked at Glynda in serious concern, terrified of losing her. "But it's not for me to decide…I hate it, but, if this is…"

"We don't have a choice," Emmeline finished shortly. "And what are the odds that…that someone else would be both capable or…"

"Oz," Cristal said almost inaudibly. "Is there really no…"

"If there were another way, we would have found it by now," Ozpin shook his head and stared at her for a moment. "I don't feel any better about this than any of us do."

"No kidding," Qrow swore under his breath and took back a long swig from his flask.

Sighing heavily as he entered the last part of the code that would allow him to initiate the transfer of Amber's aura into Glynda when ready, Ozpin turned to her. "You don't have to do this, you know that, right?"

Glynda nodded. "I know."

"Are…" Ozpin glanced at Cristal who was as calm as she could force herself to be as she stood by his side. "Glynda, are you ready?"

Not trusting herself to speak, Glynda nodded though her stomach was sinking and she could feel the fear and nerves of all of them; not only her own which were rising by the second. James was staring at her with nothing but worry and love, Emmett couldn't even bring himself to watch, Emmeline seemed hardened, Qrow was too afraid to even drink from his flask, Varna was almost smug despite everything, and Ozpin was uncertain, his face showing signs of confliction as he leaned more heavily against his cane with his wife by him, feeling number by the second. Sighing heavily, knowing that she didn't want to speak but not feeling right without her verbally agreeing, Ozpin shook his fingers through his already tousled silver hair and looked at her with sympathy, speaking slowly and nervously while his fingers hovered over the activation buttons.

"I..." Ozpin sighed. "Glynda, I need you to say it."

Sighing as she fought back tears, Glynda forced herself to speak, however quietly.

"Yes," She said. "I'm ready."

"Thank you, Glynda…" Ozpin said, turning back to the keypad and hesitating. "Gods be good, this had better work."

Closing his eyes for a brief moment while he took in a deep breath, Ozpin pressed the last few buttons on the screen to initiate the activation sequence. Turning around as Amber's pod raised up, Emmett felt himself beginning to shake in spite of his attempts to be calm. Having read through his wife's reports on the technology, he knew just as well as James how it worked and, while the technical description was 'aura transfer through the means of advanced particle technology', he knew also that Qrow was right in his description of the technology as capturing aura and cramming it into something, or, for this purpose, someone else. Looking between James and his wife, he sighed heavily and shook his head. Like his sister, who seemed almost numb as she fidgeted with her glasses, he was scared.

"For so many reasons, this is so wrong…." Emmett told them and James didn't respond as he looked at Glynda. Emmeline only gently rested a hand against his back. "I know this is a desperate measure..." He said slowly. "But…"

"I agree that it's wrong," Emmeline agreed as the pod finished raising. "I've been pushing back against these experiments for years...but it doesn't look like we have a choice but to do this."

James glanced briefly to them. "I just wish it didn't have to be my wife, but, believe me, I'll be damned before I'll be unsupportive of her."

Emmett nodded. "I know, but -"

James sighed. "Emmett -"

"No, James, if she survives what will this do to her?" Emmett asked him and he sighed as he looked back at his wife. "James -"

"I don't know," Emmeline said, looking to James in concern. "Chances are, nothing except giving her Amber's powers but it could have unforeseen consequences. This has never been done before, except in the case of PENNY...and observing that caused Crystal Watson-Winchester to drown herself a few weeks ago."

"I just..." James shook his head. "I hope nothing happens to her because if she got hurt because of this I would never be able to forgive myself for it...and I wonder if she would be able to herself."

As Amber's pod finished raising and locked into place, Emmett tapped Qrow's shoulder and motioned towards the flask that was now in his hand. Passing it to him roughly, Qrow gave him a dark look while Emmett took down over half of the disgusting liquid at once before handing it back to Qrow with a serious grimace. The man wrapped an arm around his friend's shoulder briefly before slapping his back while Cristal was suddenly still, only flinching when her sister-in-law pulled her away so she wouldn't have to watch. Ozpin looked to his wife in concern but said nothing, feeling more guilty than he ever had before. Rose was the only one amongst them who still seemed remotely calm or alright with what was happening, and she smirked when she realized that Cristal had started to ice over the floor without even realizing that she had activated her powers as the Winter Maiden.

The girl – Amber - began to glow a pale orange while her eyelids fluttered and the glow began to travel through the pipes that were connected to both pods and traveled up into the ceiling before traveling down into the pod where Glynda was trying to not let her trepidation show. Her eyes, in spite of herself and her best efforts, were wide in fear as the glow finally began to surround her. The sensation was almost burning though she couldn't tell if it was hot or cold and she began to scream in pain though she didn't want to. Several minutes passed like this, her screams and shifting being the only sounds that filled the vault while James watched her in horror and fear, tears steadily falling down his face. Unable to watch, Ozpin tightened his hold around his cane and stared down at his feet.

"I'm…" Ozpin began, his voice almost inaudible. "I'm so sorry."

"Glynda!" James exclaimed as the glow slowly began to fade and she twitched, her eyes fluttering between closed and shut and his hand gripping her crop tightly. "Glyns…"

The second the final bit of orange glow faded and her dark purple aura encased her, no trace of orange visible, there was some ease. Ozpin looked up in surprise, having expected Amber's aura not to have been apparently destroyed by Glynda's but nonetheless was relieved that the woman was alive. Once he looked at the screen and saw that it read that aura transfer was complete, Ozpin sighed and entered the codes to release the pod so that she could get out. Shaking, Glynda began to climb out of the pod while James ran to her side and she began to walk out though she stumbled and one of the heels of her high knee boots slipped beneath her. About to fall, she found herself instead looking up at James who had caught her and was looking at her in concern before he gently kissed her and she grabbed his dark hair and pulled him as close to her as possible until she finally broke the kiss and steadied herself against him, his arms holding her by the waist and preventing her from falling before he let one of them go and handed her crop which she quickly took into her right hand and sighed in relief at how natural it still felt. She didn't feel any different, apart from the tingling feeling in both of her hands and a headache but she had been concerned that something was going to happen.

"How do you feel?" James asked her gently as she pushed her wedding ring back down on her finger so that it wouldn't fall off. "Any pain?"

"Apart from a headache? No...but…" Glynda sighed. "But my hands are...it almost feels like they're numb but…"

It was then Cristal realized that her own powers had activated and were icing over the floor.

"That might last longer than you think," She warned her. "But, honestly, I'm just glad that you're okay?"

"Do you want to try and use your semblance?" Emmeline asked her and she closed her eyes but nodded and focused her crop.

Emmeline sent her husband a pointed look and he reached into his bag with a sigh. Pulling a raw Dust crystal out, Emmett tossed it across the vault and Glynda captured the shards with her semblance and manipulating them to come towards her before using her aura, channeled through her crop, to blast them to fine pieces before they could hurt her. Noticing that her aura was still the same as it always had been, she sighed in relief at both that and her semblance having gone unaffected. Reattaching her crop to her boot, Glynda quickly turned to look to them, her pale blonde waves shifting with her, something she had forgotten about. Brushing her hair away from her face while Cristal closed her eyes and focused for a brief moment, she watched as the woman closed her palm and opened it rapidly though when she opened it there was a small, cool flame in her hand, glowing brightly against the dim green light.

"I know this is going to be difficult," Cristal finally said, still being steadied by her sister-in-law and her husband. "But try and do that. Just imagine summoning the flame in the palm of your hand and you should be able to. While not the same, your powers are fairly close to mine because we're…now both maidens."

Nodding, Glynda shook as she attempted to summon, glaring at her hand as she struggled though she stared in surprise when she finally managed it after six previous attempts.

"Like that?" She said.

Emmett's eyes went wide before he shook his head. "Are you going to throw that at me?"

She scowled. "Do you want me to throw this at you and singe your perfect white hair?"

James started laughing as he pulled her in. "I love you, really, for so many reasons but sometimes you manage to be hilarious."

Emmett, on the hand, looked at her in exaggerated fear. "It's a good thing you didn't have these powers twenty some odd years ago when we were in our last year at Atlas, okay so a little before then in our first year, because I think you really would have killed us in our sleep."

"Of course I wouldn't have!" Glynda snapped, dissipating the flame and glaring at him. "Honestly, you're ridiculous -"

"Am I?" Emmett asked, leaning against the wall. "Am I really?"

Emmeline shook her head but took his hand and squeezed it nonetheless.

"Yes," She said. "Sometimes, you really are."

"And you're a whore," Rose irritably put in, scowling at Ozpin when he pulled his wife closer to him. "Now," The Vacuoian Prime Minister said as she stalked off. "You all and the Schnees can figure this out. I have actual work to do."

Cristal almost fainted when the elevator doors all but slammed shut behind Varna and her vision suddenly went dark. The last thing Cristal Sleet-Schnee consciously felt was her husband moving to catch her and, hours later, she came to in their bed, feeling worse than before.


	53. Fight: Part 1

**August 19th**

**Amity Colosseum**

**7:34 PM**

"As our last fight in the doubles round," Oobleck began in his typical fashion. "We will have Ivy Ironwood and Devin Katt of Team IGDG versus Lysithea Ciel-Schnee and Matthew Mar-Ciel of Team SAML in order to break their tie to decide which of those two Beacon teams will send a member to the finals!"

"That's right," Port continued, winking at his partner who winked back through the large glasses that dominated his face. "Team IGDG, while a Beacon Academy team, has a particularly notable member from Atlas and, no, it's not General Ironwood's daughter. I'm talking about Devin Katt, the son of the current president of the United Kingdom of Atlas! I believe he is here tonight, as well, to witness his son's fight! Funnily enough, President Ciel's daughter, Neon Katt, is one of the finalists in this tournament!"

Oobleck started laughing. "As for Team SAML, well, they've got some notable members too! While she may not be competing, Annetta Schnee is the daughter of Beacon Academy's own headmaster – Ozpin – and a well-respected Atlesian prosecutor – Cristal Schnee! There are also Samara and Lysithea Ciel-Schnee, the daughters of an Atlesian general and the beloved Atlas Academy professor: Emmett Schnee! And, of course, Matthew Mar-Ciel, the son of another beloved Atlas Academy professor: Spencer Ciel!"

Down in the stands and as close to the grounds as he could be, Emmett turned pink and reached for his wife's hand while awkwardly adjusting his glasses and pushing his hair over his shoulder with the other. Beside them were Karissa, Spencer, and three of their other kids. Thirteen year old Luna Mar-Ciel and ten year old Jasper Mar-Ciel were bouncing excitedly while, next to them, Percival kept adjusting the baseball cap on his head. He had been thrilled to be able to see his twin brother compete, but he still felt lathargic. He sighed, not because he was upset he there while Natalie had remained at university in Atlas but because he was scared. He felt constantly targeted whether or not that was the case and he was still upset that he had missed his high school graduation due to needing another round of chemotherapy. He felt almost like his disease defined him, and it pissed him off.

"This'll be fun," Spencer remarked, seeing his son's tension and gently squeezing his shoulder. "Excited, Percy?"

Percival smiled weakly and nodded, leaning forward slightly to see.

"Oh, this will be an interesting battle," Port commented as the terrain rose up against the two teams. "The terrain for this last round in the doubles is cyber, urban, forest, and mountain! Let's see how these teams do against that…"

On the ground, Lysithea had her hand at the ready to fire her shotgun if necessary but her other hand was tightly around her sword. Beside her, Matt had one hand on his own gun although, as soon as he saw the mountains rise behind them as well as the urban terrain, he shared a look with his cousin that decided that he would disappear into the urban landscape - ready to catch Ivy or Devin off guard - and Lily would go at them head on, strengthening herself with her semblance as a (Ciel)-Schnee. At the same time, Devin bit his lip so heavily that it started to bleed a tiny bit and he and Ivy readied their own weapons. The second the match began, Matt began to run into the damaged urban landscape while Lily took both of them head on, sparring with her sword hand to hand against Ivy's knives until Devin fired a shot that barely missed her and Lily ran into the forest landscape due to the temporary distraction that she had been afforded.

Deciding to try and find his cousin while Ivy suddenly tore into the woods, presumably in pursuit of Lily, Devin headed towards the mountain top before remembering Matt's hatred of heights. Because of that, he changed direction into the urban landscape. On the other hand, his other opponent, Lily, was slowly wandering through the woods before she saw Ivy who was perched atop a tree. The shifter shot her, yet the bullet did not damage her because of her aura. Shooting up at the tree while Ivy continued to fire some of her rounds in Marfil, Lysithea continued to jump out of the way until Ivy spent all of her bullets and cursed, hopping down from the tree and glaring at the small, white-haired girl before throwing a knife her way that barely missed her.

The few seconds she spent watching the blade allowed Ivy to get away before shifting her appearance to that of Devin. She had intentionally dressed in the same way that her teammate had. She was in dark washed jeans, black sneakers, and a grey and silver plaid shirt. Knowing that now she had a form of an upper-hand, Ivy ran through the woods and back towards the main area and the urban landscape before she ran out of the urban landscape as if she were Devin and distracted Lysithea long enough to knock her near unconscious by depleting her aura to the 15% that was the cut off and she was taken out of the match.

Shifting back, Ivy haughtily flipped one of her knives in her hand before sauntering into the urban landscape but, when Matt saw her and began to charge at her, Ivy met one of her knives against his gauntlets and he reminded himself that his semblance would be no use on her as a result of her psychic abilities. Drawing her aura down even further than she had already depleted it by shifting into his form, he had her even when Devin almost managed to shoot him. One final punch with a shot fired at her with his gauntlets, Ivy's aura broke and she was thrown out of the match. It remained only him and Devin. Pushing himself up from where he had fallen when Ivy had crashed into him, Devin channeled the rest of his strength into an attack on her but she Matt managed to shoot him thrice and Devin looked up and saw that his aura was depleted while the buzzer rang out. He finished sliding across the center floor while Matt reached down to help him up and he smirked before embracing his cousin.

"Well that concludes the doubles round!" Port exclaimed as Matt stood victorious and kept posing towards the cameras with a devilish grin. "Team SAML is victorious!"

"You're going on," Matt told Lily as she stepped back out. "I mean that: you're going on."

Lily shook her head. "I fell halfway –"

"Doesn't matter," Matt replied. "You're stronger than me."

"No, you're continuing because there is no way I'll win," Lily replied, crossing her arms defiantly. "Your chances are higher."

The landscape finished changing back slowly and the others who were set to compete in the finals were brought to the center stage while Matt sent his cousin a pointed look and Lily relented, however grudgingly. Yet, far too soon, Lysithea Ciel-Schnee knew she felt someone touch her shoulder, though she couldn't see them for a brief moment while a nasty black haze overtook her vision, and, even as it slowly cleared, a nasty spike headache was left behind. The all too familiar feeling of falling coupled with the feeling of being sick rose in her for not the first time and only rose when she saw the girl who was holding out her hand to her to help her up. Her vintage inspired outfit would have been a dead giveaway if she hadn't recognized the curly red hair with the large pink bow in the back. Glancing at Pyrrha in the periphery of her vision who was smiling, the sinking feeling continued to increase and she tried to shake it off before taking Penny's hand and smiling weakly at her as she stood up and tried to steady herself on her feet.

"Salutations, Lysithea Ciel!" Penny exclaimed with a bright smile that she thought was adorable.

"Hello, Penny," Lily said, lightly embracing the android politely before sighing. "How have you been? I haven't seen you around much."

Penny giggled before she waved at Ruby who was in the audience with her teammates, Team IGDG, and the rest of Team SAML. "I have spent some time with my friend, Ruby, and my teammate. I've also had to speak with your mother – General Ciel – and General Ironwood, as well Ruby's step mother, Elizabeth Morell."

Lysithea smiled tightly. "You're not in trouble, are you?"

"Oh, quite the opposite!" Penny said as they got in the line. "It's simply just checking up on me, you know, normal Atlas Academy stuff."

Unable to stop, Lily raised an eyebrow. "That's not normal for Atlas Academy, Penny," She bit off. "And I know it can't be simply a result of your proficiency as a fighter."

Penny's eyes went wide before dragging her off to the side as soon as it was declared that Yang would fight that Mercury Black. From what she had seen and what Caitlin had said, Lily knew he was on Cinder's team. "Lysithea…" Penny whispered, clearly nervous. "General Ciel didn't tell you, did she?"

Lysithea glanced around awkwardly and quickly waved Caitlin over, who had been wandering around the stadium. She was never more relieved to see her.

"What is it?" The pale-haired girl asked her, nervously fidgeting with her glasses.

"Salutations, Caitlin Ironwood!" Penny exclaimed. "It is a pleasure to see you!"

Caitlin sent Lily a somewhat mutinous look and then sighed.

"Oh, hi, Penny," She said slowly. "How are you?"

Penny glanced around and lowered her voice so as not to be overheard.

"Did General Ironwood or General Ciel tell the two of you about…" Penny trailed off uncomfortably. "About how…"

"You're not human," Caitlin said bluntly. "If that's what you were referring to, although it would do us all a lot of good if you kept that quiet."

Penny nodded furiously. "Of course. You two were sworn to secrecy by the Atlesian Council and are some of my observers."

Caitlin didn't respond immediately and gave her an odd look before nodding hesitantly. "Uh...yes!" She said, stepping on Lysithea's foot to stop her from objecting. "I am... sworn to secrecy…by the...the Atlesian Council's Department Of Foreign Affairs...And Military Action and...and...and...the Department Of Scientific Advancement And...Eth...Ethical Oversight!"

"This is so great!" Penny exclaimed, pulling Lily into a bone crushing hug that she didn't expect. "I am so excited to know someone else who knows and isn't bothered by it!"

"Who else knows?" Caitlin asked before recalling how close Ruby and Penny were. "Ruby, of course."

"Caitlin?" Glynda said, as Penny released Lysithea and went back to her team. As soon as she was gone, she pulled her daughter into her tightly before sighing. "Are you doing alright? You look -"

"I'm okay," Caitlin said, however unconvincingly.

Glynda probed her daughter's aura for just a moment and that was all it took to convince her that something was very wrong. Based on Lysithea's look, it seemed she felt the same way. There was silence between the three of them for a few seconds, but it was not long before Glynda shook her head and motioned for them to follow her. Emmeline and Emmett had returned back to their room after the event, she told them, and it sounded to Lily that they were relieved that she hadn't been the first solo combatant to fight. The late-summer air seemed to have taken on an almost clinging atmosphere, and it was eerie at the very best. When she pushed open the door, Emmeline and Emmett immediately stopped talking and Emmett looked up at them in surprise.

"Glynda?" Emmett said, setting down his mug. "Okay, I swear this time it actually is cocoa. I'm honoring the rule, I swear it. My wife is my witness!"

"I wouldn't doubt it," Glynda said as she looked at her daughter sharply to sit down while Emmett and Emmeline looked at their daughter in concern. "Caity," Glynda started gently. "Are you sure you're alright?"

Caitlin shook her head, rubbing her forehead. "I have a headache but I'm...I had a…"

"Psychic experience?" Emmett suggested, and she nodded. "Vision or just a feeling?"

"Just a feeling...though I had a moment of black haze," Caitlin admitted, looking at her mother who was almost twitchy. "I'm probably just overstimulated by everyone's auras…and so many people just feel wrong."

"I had that too," Lily admitted softly, and Emmeline paled. "When someone touched me from behind. I lost my balance and fell over."

Emmett shook his head. "That's not a good sign."

"Wait," Caitlin said, looking suddenly to her mother. "Has something…happened?"

Glynda didn't respond and instead shared a look with Emmett who shrugged.

"Caity -" Emmeline slowly started.

"She already knows most of it," Emmett reminded them and Glynda sighed. "Well, you don't have to tell her if you don't want to -"

"You remember the maidens," Glynda said to her daughter, cutting across Emmett. "Specifically the Fall Maiden?"

"Amber didn't die, did she?" Seeing the look on her mother's face, Caitlin groaned. "No, now Cinder's going to get the -"

"We did the transfer," Emmett corrected and she snapped her head to face him and he sighed. "And we transferred it to, well…"

"I took on the powers," Glynda told her and Caitlin stared at her in shock before using the powers to cause her eyes to spark, then stopping them and adjusting her glasses. "And, if you had needed proof, that was it."

"You're half a maiden now?" Caitlin asked and Glynda nodded.

"Mostly," She admitted. "Considering that it was just over half the power that was left."

"She's going to target us now, isn't she?" Caitlin said while Glynda sighed. "Salem and Cinder."

"Yes," Glynda told her, but pulled her close and stroked her daughter's long, white ponytail before shifting her wavy side bangs away from her face. "But we're going to fine, I promise."

Emmett snorted. "Yeah, even if Beacon falls, which it might."

"It won't," Emmeline said, crossing her arms. "Honestly, with Atlas –"

"My vision –" Emmett argued.

"Your vision could be wrong," Emmeline reminded him, and he fell silent, not speaking even when she gently set a hand to his arm. "You said it told you she would be in Vale…and that we already know. I doubt she'd go after Beacon…for all of her faults, she isn't stupid."

"Now," Glynda said, looking worriedly at her eldest. "What's bothering you?"

Caitlin bit her lip and stared at her feet. "I want to…if the truth ain't pretty will you all stay with me? Did you all honestly still love me at my worst?"

"Of course we did," Glynda hesitated for a moment, not wanting to consider what she knew her daughter was thinking of. "It was a difficult time for all of us, but that didn't mean that –"

"It's just…" Caitlin shook her head. "I just can't help but think that everyone will…that everyone eventually lets you down and that –"

"Don't think like that," Emmett told her, perhaps more sharply than he had intended. "At least between this small group, that won't ever become the case."

* * *

**_August 28th_**

**_Amity Colosseum_**

**_8:02 PM_**

"Yang!" Blake called out one last time before her partner began to walk into the arena. "You'll do great, I promise."

Smirking, Yang grabbed both of her hands before hugging the small cat faunus tightly and kissing her. "Aww," She said, ruffling her hair. "Thanks, Blake!"

Shifting away while Yang went to the center of the battlefield's stage, Blake sighed when the broadcasting system began and Port began to speak.

"Now, for the moment you've all been waiting for!" He exclaimed. "The one on one finals! Barty, why don't you explain the rules?"

"Ah, it's quite simple, Peter!" Oobleck began in his erratically fast speech. "Instead of a bracket system, each round of the finals will be randomly determined immediately before the match takes place!"

"And let's go through the contestants!" Port began. "Now, there are a few new faces but we all recognize Lysithea Ciel-Schnee, Yang Xiao Long, Penny Polendina, Pyrrha Nikos, Sun Wukong, Neon Katt, and Mercury Black. Of all of the contestants, they were the ones with the highest scores in the previous parts of the tournament. And as Barty said, it is much like any good hunt! There will be zero time to prepare!"

"Ah, yes, yes!" The highly energetic doctor said, pointing to the screens while the roulette on them started spinning for the selection of competitors instead of biomes. "Let's see who our first match will be!"

The roulette stopped spinning and the faces of the two competitors were shown as Port announced them. "Yang Xiao Long and Mercury Black! Would all other combatants please leave the stage?"

Below, the others all did as he requested, and Yang sassily walked towards Mercury in the middle of the floor while the lights fixed on them and she smiled.

"You better not go easy on me," She joked.

Laughing darkly, his plan in mind, Mercury replied. "You wish."

Port spoke as they faced the crowd one last time as the slowly advanced with their arms raised defensively. "There! Two! One! Begin!"

Throwing a sharp punch as soon as she was able, Yang inadvertently created a shockwave between Ember Celica and his boot. Firing a shot from Ember Celica, Yang stopped him from shooting her feet though he rotated out of the way. A moment of hand to hand fighting followed though he landed a heavy blow on her, causing her to fall backwards while he shot himself upwards, getting further away from her, and smiling devilishly. Refusing to relent, Yang began to shoot though he managed out of them while she blocked him from dropping down on her leg. Kicking her, she landed in a crouch and grimaced heavily from the jolts of pain shooting through her but still stronger than him though he attempted to hit her with his heel by way of a roundhouse kick. Jumping out of the way, he barely missed her and he leaped out of the way, hitting her as she attempted to get him by a punch to the ground.

Continuing to fight as he knocked her to the ground again, Mercury ran forward after sending her backwards once again though she punched his chin and torso, knocking him down to the ground on his stomach. Getting back up, he found himself being shot at again and rolling backwards though one of her explosions nearly sent him off the stage. Firing his boots downward, he flew back towards her and attempted to kick her sequentially once again though she deflected them with her arms. Barely escaping one of her following attacks, he still managed to knock her back before shooting her though she manages to evade this with no effort. Still, not realizing he was still behind her, Mercury began to shoot at his entire periphery while kicking though only a few of them were actually aimed at her. Dodging out of the way of all of them, Yang fought fist to fist with him again for several minutes until he kicked her hard enough to have her fall to the ground.

With his opponent on the ground, Mercury began to shoot at her directly with all of his shots aimed for her weak spots. As soon as they stopped, he slowly pushed himself up from his crouching position and grins evilly while from the corner of his eye he could see President Ciel of Atlas and the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Morell, watching him suspiciously with Ruby. His gaze met Emerald's for a moment, nodding his head to remind her of the plan though she didn't need it. Dusting himself off, he groaned upon seeing the faint wisps of smoke behind him turn into flames while Yang, her eyes red and screaming, emerged. Punching him hard, she knocked him back and avoided his following kicks except for one and instead used it to empower herself and she continued beat him with each fist. He groaned in pain while she hit him in the stomach and his aura attempted to prevent him from injury. Yet her punches were hard enough in the face that she depleted his aura down and he fell to his back while the buzzer went off to call the match and audience roared wildly.

Looking over to her step-mother, sister, and teammates, Yang let her hands fall to her side as she closed her eyes gently and breathed deeply, opening her eyes to their normal lilac as Port continued his commentary with Oobleck. "What a way to kick off the finals!"

Oobleck nodded, watching the stage reconvene with the floor of the stadium. "Yang Xiao Long wins!"

Tightly wrapping her arms around Elizabeth who pulled her in equally tight, Ruby screamed in excitement for Yang. "Yeah! You did it, Yang!"

Back on the floor while they were all cheering for her, Yang looked over to Mercury who was still hunched over.

"Better luck next time," She said, half-teasingly.

As she began to leave, Mercury stood up behind her before growing in anger. "There's not going to be a next time, Blondie!"

A heavy gunshot rung out through the stadium and silence suddenly overtook everyone as Elizabeth let go of Ruby and ran down to the stage in time to see Mercury leap forward to kick her while her guard was down though, when Yang scowled and shot his leg before he could hit her, several gasps of shock were heard and the boy seemingly reeled backwards in pain. Shaking as she leaned against the wall, Elizabeth was sure that he had attacked her though she wasn't sure why. Looking upwards, she tried to steady her breathing as she stopped herself from moving any further with one hand reaching for her gun before remembering that pulling it out would be a horrible idea. It wasn't until she saw the screens that were showing the footage of what seemingly happened that she doubted what she had seen despite trusting her own eyes more than the footage in which Yang was circling the boy before shooting him in the leg while a breaking sound was heard and he screamed, falling over heavily in pain.

"My word!" Oobleck exclaimed as he got up from his chair and Port turned to someone near them before giving orders.

"Cut the cameras!"

"My leg!" Mercury screamed as he held it and rocked on the ground. "My leg!"

Glaring at him for attacking her, Yang chastised him. "That's what you get, you little son of a bitch, for…" Looking at the Atlesian Soldiers and Special Operatives circling her with guns raised and one AK-200, Yang felt the faintest bit of fear rise in her. "Huh?"

"Yang Xiao Long," One of the soldiers said. "Stand down!"

Confused and shaking, Yang looked at them in horror. "What? Why? He attacked me! Do you even know who I am? My mother, Elizabeth Morell -"

"Why'd she do that?" Mercury exclaimed as he cried hysterically and his partner comforted him while also scowling at Yang in disgust. "Why'd she attack me?"

* * *

**_September 1st_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:34 PM_**

"Awful, simply awful," Elizabeth said, glaring at Ozpin as the man sighed heavily behind his desk. "I haven't the slightest clue as to whether or not that was your doing but even if it wasn't I am more than simply appalled. I…" Angrily groaning as she fought back tears, she and Ronnie shared a look before Ronnie angrily beat his fingers against the man's desk, forcing him to look up. "Do you have any idea what it's like to not even be convinced of your own daughter's innocence?"

"Madame Morell," Ozpin said, choosing his words carefully. "I for one don't think Yang is guilty. Yes, I know what we saw, what the world saw, but that's completely out of character for Yang. The girl would never attack anyone unless they were doing so to her -"

"Then explain why we all saw differently in the footage," Elizabeth told him, her voice shaking with one hand on her gun to steady herself. "Because if I find out that you had even a fingernail of involvement in this, you will be coming down hard."

"That won't be necessary," Cristal told her. "I can almost guarantee you there was foul play involved…there was something about what happened that seemed too convenient and I suspect there was manipulation involved – whether it was magic or otherwise – in this."

Ronnie sighed in exasperation. "Ozpin," The Atlesian president said, starting to pace and throwing his hands up for a moment in irritation. "Even if this had nothing to do with you, people are in fact blaming you for the attack. The VNS, the ANS, hell even the MNS, and Atlesian RINSE Network – hell, even the Vytal International Network are all collectively blaming you for Yang's actions. Personally, I am inclined to believe she is innocent because, like her and Elizabeth, I saw him attack her rather than the other way around but...but the world, and frankly the footage and media, insists."

"I know," Ozpin admitted, glancing at the ever growing reports. "And I am more than ready to -"

"Resign your position and take up the consequences of your actions?" Elizabeth suggested angrily. "I don't much like the idea, but, regardless –"

"You don't understand," Ozpin said, shaking his head and knowing the damage that could happen to the group if that happened. "Eliza, there are other reasons that -"

"Then would either of you care to explain them to me?" Elizabeth challenged, looking at Ozpin than with contempt while the man sighed, and eventually motioned for her to sit down, which she did. "Ozpin -"

"This is incredibly complicated, Elizabeth, if I may address you as such," Ozpin began, continuing when the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council did not correct him. "Elizabeth, how familiar are you with the legends and fairytales of our world?"

Elizabeth grimaced, remembering how Cinder had described Salem to her as a tactic to scare her into submission that had worked. "What do you know about Salem?"

"Salem?" Ozpin repeated, shocked by her knowledge of, at the very least, the name. "Elizabeth, where did you hear that name?"

Hesitating, Elizabeth ran her fingers through her hair before she exposed the same scar she had shown Qrow the other day. "From the same woman who did this, amongst other things, to me."

"Cinder?" Ronnie guessed, shaking his head, having already forced the information out of his brother-in-law. "Eliza, that isn't the worst of it, is it?"

Elizabeth nodded weakly, tears finally escaping her. "Well, of course, and you all well know it" She sighed heavily, picking at her nails. "Did you really think that she managed to keep me silent for almost a year by being nurturing to me? I was terrified of her. I was living in constant fear and that…no, you are all more than aware of what happened, if only based on my testimony to the DOJ. After that I had to take a polygraph which...which proved that what I had been saying was true...and…"

"You don't have to go on," Cristal and Ozpin told her simultaneously before he looked at her seriously and waited for a moment before going on.

"Elizabeth, and I'm not sure how much you know already, Salem is the creator and master of the creatures of grimm," Ozpin watched as she shifted to look at him in shock while Ronnie tried to keep her steady. "Do you recall The Story Of The Seasons?"

Elizabeth nodded. "I hate that story...it reminds me of my childhood, but, yes, I know the story."

Ozpin hesitated. "The four maidens of the story are real...although currently there are five."

"What?" Elizabeth said, more shocked than anything else. "That story is real?"

"Elizabeth, let me ask you this," Ozpin began slowly. "Is this story any less crazy as Salem?"

She considered that before shaking her head. "No, but if there are four maidens -"

"There was a split in the powers of the Fall Maiden," Ozpin told her. "We believe that the woman who possessed the powers before the split, Amber who, regretfully, is dead, was attacked by Cinder Fall -"

"No!" Elizabeth screamed, suddenly trying to stand up and swaying on the spot. "She killed her?"

"Not quite," Ozpin said, eyeing her anxiously. "She almost did and stole a little less than half of her powers as the Fall Maiden. We kept Amber sustained by Atlesian Technology related to aura in the vault under the Academy for months until, a little while back, when the rest of the power was transferred to Glynda."

"Glynda's a maiden?" Elizabeth asked, trying to comprehend the situation and Ozpin hesitated again.

"Mostly...but, until Cinder dies, she won't be fully. We had to transfer the powers into someone because if we didn't then the chances were that the power would have sought out its other half and that would not have boded well for anyone if Cinder really does have that other half. So, until she dies, the power won't go entirely to her and, as a precaution, when and if Cinder gets killed, it will almost certainly have to be by Glynda."

"So," Elizabeth started. "You forced -"

"We would have found someone else," Ozpin told her. "But Glynda wanted to take on the powers because my next option was her daughter, followed by Miss Nikos."

Elizabeth stared at him incredulously. "So then -"

"The last thing is that I was cursed by the gods," Ozpin informed her, his hand tightening around Cristal's, startling her for a moment. "Since I failed to defeat Salem in the past, I am cursed to reincarnate into a like-minded person that will become me until the time in which I defeat her. Once I defeat her, I will live a normal life and die like everyone else."

"So…" Elizabeth started, biting back her fears. "Does this -"

"Welcome to our clandestine group of protectors," Ronnie said dryly. "Better known as Ozpin, Cristal, Emmett, Emmeline, myself, Glynda, James, Qrow, and, regrettably, Rosalinde Varna and Leonardo Lionheart."

Elizabeth looked up and sent Cristal a pointed look, causing the prosecutor to take a small step back in surprise.

"I am going to kill that bitch," Elizabeth finally said, between her bitter weeps. "With my own bare hands, damn it."

* * *

**_September 2nd_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:29 PM_**

"Let me in there!" Ivy shouted at the soldiers guarding the door to Team RWBY's dormitory before finally deciding to play her least favorite card. "Do you have any idea who I am?"

One of the soldiers sighed and dismissed one of the AK-200s that was there. "I have orders not to let anyone in there -"

Anger taking her over, Ivy ignored the soldier's words and kicked the door open with all of her strength channeled into her foot. Turning around in shock, James watched as his daughter glared at him and clenched her fists while Blake wrapped an arm around Yang. Ivy sent her a look of relief but then forced herself to meet her father's gaze, Ivy found herself speaking quicker than she had even thought she was capable of doing so.

"Yang would never do what she did unprovoked!" She snapped. "Ever, that's not who she is and even Elizabeth thinks so and she's -"

"Ivy," James said, forcing himself to be patient. "Elizabeth isn't even sure of what to think, she said so and, however admirable it is that you are vouching for your friend -"

"That's only because dozens of reporters were asking her that question!" Ivy insisted, forcing herself not break the nearest thing to her. "She had to be impartial because that's her fucking job. Publicly, she isn't sure what to believe but she told me that she doesn't think Yang -"

"Ivory Glynda Ironwood-Goodwitch!" James snapped, looking at her seriously. "I know that you don't want to believe this but…"

"Fine," Ivy said, scowling. "Trust the idiots in the world who weren't present to see what really happened and not your own daughter."

When no one answered right away at the door to her sister's or the Ciel's room just down the hall, Ivy collapsed against the wall and began curling into herself, hugging her knees to her chest and crying. She didn't even know why she was so upset. She and Yang didn't always get along as well as they could, and the two of them had always had such polarizing personalities that they didn't spend too much time together. It didn't matter, especially since she had Blake. She thought there might be a part of her that wanted Yang to be with her instead of Blake, but she suddenly realized that she was jealous of them. She wanted Adam to be like that with her. Several minutes passed and, by the time she was sobbing, she didn't even hear Emmett open the door and sit down next to her on the ground until she felt him tap her shoulder. Looking up, the forty four year old Schnee smiled weakly at her and pulled her into a hug before helping her onto her feet and bringing her into the room where Caitlin and Sam were having a drink with Emmeline before Caitlin saw her sister and stared at her in shock.

"Ivy…" Caitlin began gently as her sister sat down and Emmett sighed, wrapping an arm around his wife. "Did something -"

"No one believes Yang's innocent, not even daddy!" Ivy exclaimed, too bitter and feeling too damn sick to start crying again. All that seemed to remain was anger at the injustice. "I mean -"

"No, James thinks Yang's innocent," Emmett told her and she stared at him surprise. "Ivy, he doesn't have a choice in the matter of disqualifying her or not because this is an incredibly sensitive subject and, think about it pragmatically, do you really think that now is a good time to make Atlas a target for claims of corruption and nepotism by not disqualifying Yang?"

Ivy scowled. "It's not right, and he's not acting like he believes –"

"Of course James thinks she's innocent," Emmeline sharply cut across her. "Besides knowing her, he knows that Cinder has been placing her pawns in place and we all know that this Mercury bastard has spent at least some time around her in the past, more if you agree with me and Sam in saying that he's on the same team as her since he's on 'Cecily Ashlynn's' team."

Emmett nodded, squeezing her hand. "And consider Elizabeth's reasons for this…Ronnie's, too. Elizabeth, however much she wants to believe her step daughter, knows that, like James and Ronnie, she can't change what the world saw and in many ways she's in a worse place for this matter since she's Yang's step mother. If she came out and denied that Yang was capable of doing what she did unprovoked, then people would immediately accuse her of nepotism no matter how valid her reasoning for Yang's innocence was. Not only that, but you have to consider that she and Ronnie need to be as impartial and analytical as possible, like James, but it's even more critical in the positions they hold."

Ivy sighed. "I mean, I know that but it's still...for all her faults, Yang doesn't deserve this."

"No, she doesn't," Caitlin said, getting off the floor and tugging on her dark brown leather jacket. "And I'm going to do something about it...even if I can't change what's happening, I'll do something."

Ignoring their protests, Caitlin began to walk hastily towards Team RWBY's dormitory though she stopped when she heard voices from inside the room. Pressing herself against the wall and listening, her glasses pushing into the side of her face, Caitlin tried to steady her breathing as she rolled her ankle as best she could in her three inch heels. They were black leather and almost stiletto heels and were open toed with bands going across her foot and connecting at small gold posts. Her leather pants were form fitting and also black with silver zippers for her pockets on the front while her white keyhole blouse was tight with billowing sleeves and, especially the key hole with the sparking pink broach above it, exposed some of her curves like her pants did. Closing her eyes, she forced herself to listen though her nerves were growing as she could feel some of the rising tension in the room.

"...I'm sorry," James said. "...But you've left us with no choice."

Yang's voice rose slightly in her ire as she responded. "...But he attacked me!"

Presumably, the footsteps were indicative of James beginning to pace. "...Video footage and millions of viewers say otherwise."

"...But Yang would never do that!" Weiss insisted, her voice a little more irritable than usual.

Ruby agreed. "...Yeah!"

James was silent for a moment before responding. "...Weiss, I know you wouldn't believe Yang without good reason to and I understand that Ruby wouldn't either. As for Blake, you seem like a good student and by all accounts I can imagine you aren't the same girl you were six years ago. Yang, I know you well enough to say that I don't honestly believe you would do what you did unprovoked or the majority of the time, and the staff her at Beacon are fully aware that you would never lash out the way you did… under normal circumstances. What I believe and hope this to be is nothing more than the result of stress and adrenaline. When you're out on the battlefield, your judgement can become clouded in an instant. Sometimes you see things that simply aren't there. Even after the fight is past…" Through the slight opening of the door, Caitlin could see him glancing to the right while rolling his right shoulder and she had a feeling that he was referring to the accident just over twenty years ago that Emmett had told her cost him his right arm and leg.

Yang looked up, apparently with tears in her eyes. "But I wasn't -"

"That's enough!" James told him, angrily stern and continuing as the room fell silent. "The sad truth is, whether it was an accident or an assault, it doesn't matter. The world saw you attack an innocent student. They've already drawn their own conclusions...and it's my job to inform you that...you are disqualified."

As Yang's shock shifted into understanding while she miserably glanced to the ground, James sighed as they all looked up when the door hesitantly opened and his eldest daughter stormed into the room. By the way she was breathing and trying to steady herself, she seemed damn near hyperventilation and stared at all of them seriously, though there was some anger behind her eyes. Caitlin waited for him to speak and crossed her arms while straightening herself in her artificial 5'6'' instead of her natural 5'3''. Blake and Yang looked at her in surprise for a brief moment before finding themselves unable to look at her while Weiss smiled weakly in encouragement and Ruby shook nervously while they all waited, watching father and daughter in a stalemate as they both waited for the other to speak until James finally looked at her in slight exasperation.

"Caitlin Marianne," James began sternly while she only hardened her expression with her arms crossed still. "What are you doing here? Apart from that -"

"That's not a serious question, is it?" Caitlin asked with a slight smirk. "I'm doing what has to be done."

"Caitlin," James said, shaking his head as she bit her upper lip nervously. "You cannot do things like this."

Incensed, despite knowing he didn't have a choice, Caitlin began to shout in a way that reminded him sharply of Glynda when she was angry. "Daddy, you can't disqualify her, she didn't do it unprovoked, I swear to -"

"Caitlin -" James began tiredly though she continued regardless.

"Whether she's a bit of a bitch or not sometimes doesn't matter! Neither does the fact that she acts like she doesn't give a damn! Her aura isn't the one that's wrong! She had nothing to do with this!" Slight tears of anger laced the corners of her eyes. "Please listen to me!"

"Even if that's true, the world has already drawn its own conclusions!" James told her, returning the sharp gaze and tone despite not wanting to. Turning back to Yang as she looked ready to protest again, he sighed. "As I said before, you are disqualified."

"But General Ironwood -" Weiss began to protest.

"Miss Schnee, I have no choice!" James said irritably. "I don't want to do this, but -"

"We all have a choice," Caitlin snapped, and he turned to her suddenly. "Whether we're at our best or worst, we have a fucking choice!"

"God damn it, Cate!" James exclaimed, matching her scowl. "You are demanding that the world forgive and forget when they are convinced –"

"That…Mercury should be held accountable!" Caitlin took in a deep breath although it did little to calm her nerves. "You have the wrong person here, and –"

"I am doing what is responsible!" James sharply informed her. "What is necessary and proper –"

"Necessary and proper?" Caitlin snorted. "That would imply an investigation, not –"

"This is out of our hands!" James shook his head, regaining his composure. "Whatever the truth is, it –"

The door slammed suddenly behind the young woman, who stormed off back towards the stadium to give Mercury Black a piece of her mind. Yet she wasn't quick enough and ran into her mother, who was rather startled, but no more than she was when she realized that Caitlin had been transfixed, at that very moment, by a woman with amber eyes and ashy hair. She was standing at the end of the hall, just before the entrance to Amity Coliseum, and she suddenly disappeared in a flash of smoke. Glynda quickly pulled her daughter aside and drew her crop, ready for a fight, although none came. It was no more than a minute later that Elizabeth crossed paths with them and she almost fainted when she realized what had startled them so much. The chair of the Atlesian National Security Council glanced back at the footage that had been replaying since the infamous day. It was then she knew that worse had yet to come for all of them.

Yet, as the footage cut to black, what she didn't know was that the so-called Cecily Ashlynn was watching the entire thing as Mercury confirmed to her and Emerald that he was unhurt. Her eyes flaring, Cinder Fall felt an involuntary flash of fear wash over her as she realized that the girl knew just as well as Emmett, Emmeline, Glynda, Elizabeth, and Sam that she was there. What made it worse, was that she knew exactly who she was while she had serious doubts that the others did. While she hadn't said it, it was beyond clear what she was implying to the world and as Elizabeth Morell watched the end of the girl's speech, she immediately looked over to Tai and Violet before sighing and showing him the footage herself before making her way back to Beacon Tower so that she could inform Ozpin of the threat and identity of Cinder Fall. Even if she had masked it well, that mask was slowly being tattered before their very eyes.


	54. Fight: Part 2

**_September 9th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:31 PM_**

"Hey there, firecracker," Qrow said, leaning against the door, his arms crossed and a faint smile on his face with Emmett Schnee and Emmeline Ciel next to him.

Emmett rolled his eyes when she didn't respond and instead opted to watch Team IGDG, Team SAML, Team JNPR, and the rest of Team RWBY, outside.

"Yang?" Emmeline said, gently pushing her to speak.

Yang didn't respond to any of them, even when the three of them came into the room. She barely noticed, out of the corner of her eye, as Qrow leaned against the wall and Ciel sat down on the edge of the small sofa with Emmett standing behind her, a hand on her shoulder.

"So you're just going to sit here and mope?" Emmett finally pressed, almost disdainfully. "You know, Cate was really upset about you refusing to speak to her after she fought with her father on your behalf."

"Maybe I don't want to see anyone because I'm disgraced," Yang said, unsurprised by them and not turning around. "But hey, Emmett, Emmeline, Qrow."

Qrow snorted as if he found her response amusing before sighing and looking at her seriously. "So, why'd you do it?"

Finally turning around, Yang closed her eyes briefly before responding. "You know why."

"All I know is that you attacked a helpless kid," Qrow told her, uncrossing his arms and narrowing his eyes as he looked at her. "So either you're lying or you're crazy."

Emmett elbowed Qrow hard in the chest as the younger man smirked. "Shut up, Qrow," He told him. "You know she didn't do it."

"Do I?" Qrow asked him, his smirk retained.

Yang stared at her uncle in shock that quickly turned to resolve as she defended herself. "I'm not lying!"

Letting out a noise of disappointment, Qrow casually walked into the center of the room with his hands in his pockets. "Crazy, got it."

"Who knows?" Yang said, looking at Emmeline with almost pleading eyes for the general to come to her defense. "Maybe I am."

Shaking his head while continuing to pace, Qrow sighed. "And I thought your dark-haired friend was the emo one…"

Unsure of how to approach the subject, and also unsure of how much he knew, Yang looked to all of them, but more so Qrow, watching him when he stopped upon her words.

"I saw my mom," She forced out. "I...I was in a lot of trouble. Took a pretty hard hit...but when I came to, the person attacking me was gone and I thought I was seeing things until she dissipated her creepy, shifting red portal and addressed me. We...we...stared at each other for several minutes and I...I recognized her as my mom because...because of her sword, like the one in you and dad's old picture."

Laughing, Qrow nodded and smiled sadly. "You're not crazy, Yang. That was your mom, all right. Let me guess: she didn't say a word, did she?"

Yang shook her head as he walked towards her between the bunk beds. "No. We...talked and that...that...did Ruby tell you who told her -"

"You told her that she was my daughter before Tai and Eliza did," Qrow said, leaning against the bunk beds heavily. "I was wondering where you learned about that...although Raven is the last person I expected despite it not being surprising. You've seen her since then, haven't you?"

"How did you know that?" Yang asked him in surprise at the last.

"I don't see my sister very often," Qrow admitted and Emmett and Emmeline glared at him, being able to say the same for the first but not for what he followed that with. "But she does try to keep in touch… whenever it suits her."

"I don't see mine very often either," Emmett said, glaring at him still. "Well, at least your estranged sister doesn't show up just because she wants to kill someone in your family."

"You have it worse," Qrow conceded, knowing that for all her faults and not being above killing that Raven wouldn't touch her family. "At least my sister didn't kill my fiancée. So that's another sin on the hearts of the Schnee family."

"You can't blame us for that," Emmeline snapped, startling the red-eyed man. "That's completely –"

"Sure," Qrow said dryly. "Well, regardless, at least she didn't account for the fact that Atlas has ways of getting everyone to give up what information they know. In front of the Atlesian Council, lock up the knives and babies so that you don't -"

"You don't even understand the Atlesian Council -" Emmeline exclaimed in irritation though Qrow quickly countered with an evil grin.

"Sorry," He said, taking a long draught from his flask. "But that's coming from people who are used to getting their way in everything in life."

Emmett rolled his eyes. "See, here's the thing, Qrow, you have a sister who practically owns part of Mistral. I have a sister that is half a maiden and is trying to bring about the fall of Beacon Academy. So neither of us win! Yay!"

"Wait…" Yang said, drawing them back to Qrow's comment about staying in touch with Raven and trying not to dwell on what she believed to be the white-haired swordsman's dark joke. "You mean you talk to her? That was real? It wasn't a joke that you and she talk, I mean?"

"Yeah," Qrow said, almost irritably as he thought to the way his sister had corned him in a small, shady pub in Vacuo a few weeks back. "She had a tip from my most recent assignment and wanted me to give you a message that she claims she already gave you...and she concluded that cryptically with 'among other things I discussed with my daughter.'"

Anger almost seemed to take over Yang's face though her tone was more shocked. "Why didn't you tell me sooner?"

Sighing, Qrow went over to the window though he didn't look at her while Emmett and Emmeline did, searching for any sign of what else Raven might have told the girl.

"I was trying to wait for the right time, and this sure ain't it...but I guess you deserve to know." Finally looking at her, his gaze was solemn. "She wanted me to tell you that she saved you once, but you shouldn't expect that kindness again. Raven's got an...interesting way of looking at the world that I don't particularly...agree with. And she's dangerous." A smirk over took his face again, much to his niece's visible relief. "But you're a tough egg, kiddo. Shouldn't let this tournament thing get'cha down. You had a slip up, sometimes bad things just happen. I say it's time you move on."

"Don't you want to know what else she told me?" Yang asked, her lilac eyes wide and her voice quiet as she looked to all of them but, this time, it was focused on Emmett and Emmeline. "She said, and I quote: 'Listen to me Yang, Ozpin will fail and Beacon will fall.' She then...she asked me to join her tribe."

"Raven confirmed what I saw?" Emmett looked at her in disbelief before pulling out his scroll. "Damn it, I don't care that it's Raven Branwen, she's not stupid and if she has even the slightest psychic abilities then I think we should all be worried about her."

"No kidding," Qrow remarked bitterly, knowing that she had had gotten things right before. "But I seriously doubt...no, Beacon ain't going to fall, not while Ozpin's headmaster. Anyone else, or more specifically anyone that's not in our little group, sure. But us, nah."

"And that's you being too much of an optimist," Emmett told him, his voice slow and deadly serious while he glanced back at his messages. "My sister believes there's reason for concern, too, considering all that's happened the last few weeks."

"Ugh," Qrow said, leaning against the dresser under the window with almost his full weight. "Fuck it. That's all of us except for me and Oz, Emmett. I mean, Em, Cristal, Glynda, James, and Eliza have never had a reason to doubt your visions -"

"And you shouldn't either," Emmett countered, shaking slightly. "Because I did everything in my power to convince Oz not to let Summer go on the mission that –"

"You knew about that and you didn't tell me?" Qrow shouted. "You really didn't think I had the –"

"I know!" Emmett shouted back. "Okay, I know! But that doesn't fucking change anything! If I had told you, it would have made you even more paranoid about your semblance, wouldn't it? Or you wouldn't have listened! So tell me, Qrow, would it have really helped?"

Qrow groaned, knowing he was right. "No, but I still had a right to know!"

"It was years ago!" Emmeline reminded him in exasperation. "And you are seriously just the one that told your niece that she needs to move her little self on, so why don't you -"

Yang stared up to Qrow. "Move on to what?"

Contenting himself with a half angry glare to Emmett, Qrow turned his focus back to her. "Well...Raven let some info slip before she took off. If you ever want to track her down, I think I might be able to help."

Though not still seriously considering the offer, Yang looked at him eagerly with her full attention, hoping he could clarify everything they had been saying and praying there was more than paranoia underfoot.

* * *

**_September 11th_**

**_Beacon CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:19 PM_**

"Don't you see?" Emmett said, trying to keep himself calm while Ozpin sighed. "I'm not the only one, and if Raven _fucking_ Branwen is telling her daughter, a girl she abandoned, that Beacon is going to fall then the chances are -"

"Schnee's right," Qrow said, leaning against the wall and drinking from his flask. "My sister's dangerous, but she's confirming something he said."

"And what will Beacon fall to, Emmett?" Ozpin asked, trying to be rational. "Certainly not grimm, it's a huntsman academy and I'm sure we all could easily take any grimm that attempted an attack. Might I ask if this is an attempt to hunt down and kill your sister?"

"Believe me," Emmett muttered irritably. "If I could have killed her a long time ago, I would have."

"And denied me the pleasure?" Elizabeth asked with her arms crossed. "Fuck you."

"Sorry," Emmett said, turning to look at her while he tightened his arm around Emmeline. "I'm happily married and not going to have sex with you though I'm sure Tai does love doing so."

Elizabeth turned pink while Qrow laughed before stopping when he realized they agreed on something. "Sorry, Eliza," He said gruffly, turning to Emmett. "That's not fair, Schnee!"

"Thank you, Qrow," Elizabeth said, crossing her arms with a heavy sigh and a glare to Emmett. "And you shouldn't find that amusing!"

"So you're not angry with me?" Emmett asked, almost as if he were a child that drawn all over the walls and their parents had told them that were disappointed rather than angry.

"I'm not," Emmeline said, squeezing his hand in an attempt to comfort him.

After all this time, she knew how draining his visions could be on him and it worried her with each one. Over the years, they had become more scarce than they had been when the kids were younger but that didn't mean they were gone. She knew without even pressing that he felt almost numb, and she knew he was distracted. She, as she often was, was right. He was zoning out to Elizabeth's response while the rest of the group engaged itself in a heated debate. As she would know later, Emmett had been drawn back to his childhood but, more specifically, the reading of The Last Will and Testament of Nicholas Jasper Schnee, his father.

_"Emmett…" Ashlynn hissed as the boy pulled his elbow length white waves back into a high bun. "I know father wouldn't have approved. He was always nagging at you to cut your hair."_

_Shrugging, Emmett looked to her as they entered the small room in the Schnee manor after having left the expansive hall in which the closed casket that contained their father had been front and center at the end of it before the burial._

_"You're uniquely horrible," Willow muttered, not to Emmett, but to Ashlynn._

_She shared a look with Cristal that suggested their sister really was off of her rocker. Cristal briefly glanced towards the doorway when Jacques stepped into the room with the five-year-old Winter, who excitedly ran over to Emmett and started babbling excitedly at him. Jacques and Willow said nothing, for the moment, and he took her hand in an unusual display of outward affection._

_"Is everyone here?" Nicholas's personal lawyer asked and they glanced around before Ashlynn angrily told him no, that they were waiting for her husband._

_It was clear Ashlynn didn't care about a damn thing in that moment, not even her husband. All she cared about was the fortune. They were right to think that. Leaning against the bookcase, she found her thoughts wandering to how much of her father's fortune she was going to receive as well as what else he might have left to her name. Willow had restrained her daughter, who was now speaking quietly to her parents, still not sure of what was going on, and Cristal kept fidgeting, having been made nervous by the whole affair. Emmett, in contrast, was perched on the higher arm of the chaise lounge and had crossed his legs at his knees. His sword was in his hands and he was looking over it before he let his hair down and twisted it together. Raising his sword, Emmett slowly began to whittle away his hair and it was just a little over a minute past the time he started that his hair was shoulder length and the other foot of it laid on the floor. Ashlynn gaped at him in shock and horror, but even more so when he simply reattached his sword to his side and picked up his discarded hair, tossing it into and filling up the small rubbish bin on the other side of the room._

_"Emmett!" Ashlynn snapped. "What in the hell -"_

_"Do watch your language around your niece," Jacques told her, with a contempt-filled scowl. "And I cannot say I am a fan of it either."_

_"What does 'fuck' mean?" The five year old asked innocently and Emmett smirked, meeting her fist with his though the others stared in shock. "I just -"_

_"Later," Emmett told her._

_"You are not teaching your niece how to swear," Willow sent him a dark look. "She's five years old, you know."_

_Emmett chuckled. "I suppose that's fair."_

_"Ashlynn," Harley Schnee stepped haughtily into the room, glaring at his wife as he did so. Ashlynn matched his scowl. He had taken her name when they had married, on her insistence, and she was never more grateful for it. "And the rest of them. What a sordid affair."_

_The lawyer sighed, adjusting his glasses and beginning to read the will. No one protested, and, it, appeared, this was the entire family._

_ "The Last Will and Testament of Nicholas Jasper Schnee," He said calmly. "My dear family: I am sure you have been waiting for this day for a long time. So have I. Thus, to my first son-in-law, Jacques Louis Gelè-Schnee, I leave my entire business empire, passing ownership and all control onto him."_

_"No!" Harley and Ashlynn screamed simultaneously, glaring at each other when they realized what they had done. "Just no!"_

_The lawyer went on after their protests abated. "To my eldest daughter, Ashlynn Cinder Schnee, I leave eighty million lien – four sevenths of my personal fortune. I also leave her all of the family jewels and the summer home in the southern part of the Republic of Mistral."_

_"Yes…" Ashlynn murmured, drinking still. "That's lovely news...I mean, it's a tragedy I lost my father but at least he had a heart."_

_"Get on with it," Harley snapped. "What about -"_

_"To my other son-in-law, Harley Johnson-Schnee," He said sharply. "I leave a seventh of my personal fortune, and the deeds of the Schnee Manor will be transferred into his name; however, this is contingent upon him winning an arm wrestling contest with Jacques. If Jacques wins, the deeds of the Schnee Manor will be transferred into my second eldest daughter's name, Willow Schnee."_

_Jacques and Harley stared each other down mutinously and they prepared themselves for something Jacques would later describe as horribly embarrassing. It took far longer than anyone had wanted, but Jacques slammed Harley's arm down on the table with a smirk._

_"My daughter, Willow Schnee, also receives a seventh of my personal fortune, on top of the deeds for the manor with Jacques having defeated Harley," With Harley speechless, the lawyer reread the next part twice. "I leave another seventh of my fortune to my son, Emmett Arthur Schnee. As for my youngest daughter, Cristal Annabelle Schnee, I leave the last seventh of my personal fortune."_

_"That's impossible!" Harley roared. "She's probably not even his child –"_

_"That's rich," Willow snorted. "Chrissy's as much as a Schnee as Emmett or me –"_

_"Then why doesn't she have white hair?" He rolled his eyes and clamped down angrily on a cigar. "Ash might dye her hair, but she's always been like Nick. There's no way in hell she ain't his kid, but Cristal? She's a fucking –"_

_"I'm afraid you are sorely mistaken," Jacques smoothly cut across him, coming to Cristal's defense, much to her surprise. "But there is no doubt and your treatment of her is despicable, regardless of how she may act on occasion. We are the Schnees, we're practically royalty," Jacques sent him a disapproving look. "All except for you, at any rate."_

_That was, as Emmett would admit over a decade later, the one time he had honestly liked Jacques and seen a shred of good in him._

* * *

**_September 28th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:29 PM_**

Ivy Ironwood burst into tears and curled into herself, feeling almost as awful as she had that morning. Barely twenty years old, and she was going to have to choose between her family and her lover. That was amplified, knowing now that she was going to be a mother. The thought terrified her. Her teammates were still out, but they would be back soon enough. She had no idea who to turn to. She wasn't ready to go to Adam and tell him about their child, but she couldn't bear the thought of telling her brother – who had spent most of the summer enjoying himself and playing video games without a care in the world – back home in Atlas, back in school and being watched by their uncle Trey Goodwitch for the next few weeks until the rest of them returned at the end of Beacon's term. Cate hadn't gone back yet; her classes had been delayed until the end of October because most of her professors held semi-important to important roles in the Atlesian government.

And Ivy felt like a liar, a sinner, and a runaway that knew not what she could possibly do.

She had shoplifted the damn test, not wanting to run the risk of there being a record or questions from her parents about that particular charge on her credit card. This was not something she could hide from them forever, but she was going to hide for now. She already loved her baby, but she was terrified for it. The kid was going to have a father that would be occasionally absentee at best and constantly in trouble with the law while they would have a mother that was the opposite of the rest of her family. A mother that, she feared, would be in pain for the rest of her life as a huntress disgraced by herself. She didn't know what her family would think, and she was scared to know. Would they hate her, or would they be upset and understand?

She could almost hear her sister's angered accusations. Cate had always seen the world two-dimensionally, and she knew her sister held a deep resentment of terrorists and the people that associated themselves with them. She knew it was because she was jaded by the knowledge that their father had almost been killed – it had been before they were born, but it had been after their parents had married – by separatists that attacked an Atlesian ship in the south Menagerie sea back in late 2000. Ivy understood her sister's anger, and she even respected it. What she did not understand was how her sister couldn't see that some of the members of the White Fang were simply misguided. They were casualties in the system that her sister was more than willing to work and, by her own words, uphold. She had always said maintaining accountability was why she wanted to become a criminal prosecutor.

To Ivy, her sister was the kind of person that would jail people like Adam, who, while not fully innocent, were misguided.

Her sister's harsh words, something she had repeated from Karissa, came back to Ivy more painfully than ever. The statement that those people were not misguided, that they were nothing more than terrorists. She didn't see what they were struggling against, and Ivy believed she was without mercy and without empathy. Ivy hated that her sister wanted to take up the work Cristal had become so skilled at over the years; though she didn't hate her godmother, she had become angry with her in recent months for her work. Cristal believed she upheld and preserved justice, but Ivy believed that she upheld the system that made people like Adam hate them. Adam had opened her eyes, of that she was sure, and she vowed, in that moment, to raise their child with open eyes. Not eyes as closed as her –

"Yo, Ivy?" Genevieve Sieben called, rapping her knuckles against the door from the outside. "I need to take a piss and I need to now before my bladder fucking explodes."

"Give me a minute," She called back.

Ivy quickly buried the test at the bottom of the trashcan, and covered it with papers and empty waters before she tiredly opened the door and let Genevieve in, who winked and shut the door behind herself with far more excitement than Ivy thought anyone should have over relieving themselves.

"You look a mess," Devin casually jibed when she collapsed into her bed and curled into herself. "I'm assuming it's the tournament."

"It's so much more than that," Ivy mumbled. "So much more than I could ever say."

Grace Wile raised an eyebrow. "Are you okay?"

"I don't know, not anymore," Ivy said, pulling the covers tightly over herself. "Maybe I'll feel better in the morning."

The sad irony was that, if anything, she only felt worse than she had before.

* * *

**_October 3rd_**

**_Amity Colosseum_**

**_8:32 PM_**

"Ruby…" Elizabeth said, one hand on her gun as they walked. "I really am not in the mood to watch another fight. It's been long enough, sure, but after what happened with Yang I just...you know Tai and Violet went back to Patch, right? Because of what happened, Rubes. He would have let her go back to school late in November but…no, I'm not going to lie to you and say that things are fine because the truth is they aren't. It's dangerous here, or at least it's becoming dangerous here, and that's why Tai and Violet left. I'm staying because I have to, but -"

"Mom…" Ruby began, clutching her free hand. "Come on, it's just one fight! Please? For me?"

Staring at the girl's round silver eyes, Elizabeth let out an irritated noise of disapproval. "Okay, for one, it's not fair for you to pull those eyes on me because you know that I can't say no to them. You know that, Ruby and...ugh...fine! I give up! You win!"

Smiling widely as Ruby dragged her down towards an open seat with her adoptive step mother in hand, she too couldn't help but cheer though she wished just as much as Elizabeth and James that Yang didn't have to have been disqualified. So it spite of everything, she took in the large crowd before her eyes widened in shock upon seeing another girl on the other side of the arena. Green hair and narrowed eyes, Emerald was looking at her although her gaze quickly traveled to Elizabeth in the same anger and contempt that it had had for her. Shock spreading through her, Ruby gulped in fear before Elizabeth turned to look at her and placed her hands on the girl's shoulders, trying to figure out what was wrong.

"Ruby…" Elizabeth began slowly. "Did you see something?"

Slowly, the girl nodded. "I think...Emerald...but then why is she...why is she here?"

Recognizing the name of one of Mercury Black's teammates, Elizabeth stiffened as she looked towards where Ruby had been. Sure enough, the girl with the minty hair leaned forward to glare at both of them before she watched the goth and the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council run off after her - both with immensely worried expressions. Reaching an exit tunnel, Ruby checked to see if no one except for her and Elizabeth were around while, carefully, they ducked through a door with a yellow sign declaring it to be for maintenance. Finding themselves on the inside of the Amity Colosseum, Elizabeth tried to recall the maps of the layout though she was struggling as she followed Ruby's determined stride and they both listened to the slightly muffled voices of the announcers through the heavy, brick walls.

"...All right!" Oobleck declared. "...It's now time to begin the randomization process for our next fight now that our several delays have passed!"

"No kidding," Elizabeth muttered, faintly hearing the sound of the roulette while Ruby stopped short once again at the sight of yet another one of her unexpected friends as he stepped out of one of the nearby tunnels, completely unharmed and evidently not going on.

"Mercury?" Ruby asked, squinting as if she was confirming his identity while Elizabeth placed a hand protectively on her shoulder.

"Ruby," She started nervously. "Let's -"

Port was faintly heard from above and Elizabeth almost felt as if her heart was going to stop in fear of his words. "It looks like our first contender is… Penny Polendina from Atlas…"

Ruby's attention shifted as she spoke though Elizabeth's did not. "What are you doing?"

Port continued, and the recognition of her opponent made Elizabeth feel ill. "And her opponent will be… Pyrrha Nikos from Beacon."

"No…" Ruby murmured, her head dipping as she thought and the horrific truth of what could happen to Penny came to her.

"Ooh…" Mercury began, tapping his chin as he looked at her before turning to Elizabeth. "Polarity versus metal. That could be bad. Wouldn't you agree, Madame Morell?"

"How in the hell are you even aware of that?" Elizabeth demanded, both of her hands on her gun. "I know for a fact that that is one of the most highly classified pieces of information in -"

"Ah, but you see," Mercury said as he leaned against the wall. "Lysithea Ciel was right about Cecily not being who she says she is -"

"I know that!" Elizabeth snapped moving towards him so they were standing eye to eye. "And I know that because she's my assailant -"

"Yes," Mercury confirmed. "And believe me, she didn't think you were -"

Oobleck continued though Elizabeth focused now on Mercury's words. "...Fighters, are you ready?"

A harsh, angry slap pushed across his face and he looked up at her in shock before turning to Ruby who was glaring at him. As she reached back to take Crescent Rose into her hands, she remembered in slight fear that she didn't have her HCSS on her and her opponent began to grin maliciously, setting himself into a fighting stance. From above them, they could hear the center of the arena lifting into the air for the second time and, from her scroll, Elizabeth could see that Penny, still oblivious to the danger of the situation, was grinning wildly. Looking from her adoptive step daughter to Mercury, Elizabeth quickly fired a warning shot in his direction to escape up to the arena in an attempt to stop the fight. Tearing her way up the stairs and through the crowds, Elizabeth saw James and Emmeline notice her and begin to follow her. She stopped when they caught up.

"Are you -" He started quickly.

"No, James, I'm not," Elizabeth snapped, pointing down to the fight below. "This fight, it's too dangerous! Pyrrha Nikos…her semblance is polarity! If she used it at all, it could destroy Penny in an instant and that girl had no choice in her creation! Android or not, I have to protect her!"

"I agree," Emmeline said as they began to head up towards the box where Port and Oobleck were. "This was unethical to begin with, but it will be worse if we don't take responsibility."

"No," Elizabeth said, her hands shaking. "You aren't taking responsibility for this. I am."

James stared at her in shock. "Eliza, that could destroy everything that you've -"

"I've spent years trying to right my wrongs!" Elizabeth reminded him, tears in her eyes. "I'll be damned before I let this happen, even if it destroys my career!"

Forcing her way into the box with James behind her, Elizabeth looked to Port and Oobleck seriously before sighing. "Stop the match, stop it right now."

"Madame Morell, neither of us can do that," Port told her. "Not unless -"

With a sharp look to Oobleck, he stopped the recording from inside the box itself with all recording specifically of the match. "Why?"

"Because that girl," Elizabeth said, gesturing to Penny. "Is an android. Miss Nikos's semblance could destroy her -"

Port began to laugh though Oobleck hesitated. "Madame Morell, that's preposterous! President Ciel himself assured us that -"

"Do I look like I'm joking?" Elizabeth asked, her almost claw like nails tapping against the edge. "I'm serious, do you two think I'm playing any games? Because I'm not -"

"Madame Morell," Oobleck began respectfully. "I truly doubt that claim, if only because if the United Kingdom Of Atlas had developed a sentient android with an aura of all things that it would be public knowledge -"

Elizabeth sighed in agitation, nervously looking back at the fight. Emmeline began to furiously argue with the two men, and James looked on in horror, only interjecting when he thought there was something important to add. Below them, however, Ruby was still facing Mercury, confusion taking her over. Though she hadn't truly believed that Yang had attacked him, the footage had insisted that he had and that had placed a faint seed of doubt in her mind. Still, seeing him up and standing was enough to make her almost positive that he really had never been attacked. The idea of Yang's story being true washing over her in torrents, Ruby narrowed her eyes in suspicion while the boy continued to smile at her maliciously. Recalling what Lily had said about him being on the same faux team as the Schnee's aunt, Ruby's heart dropped in terrible realization as she began to speak, attempting to force him to confirm the suspicions she held.

"Mercury, what are you doing? You were hurt why…" Narrowing her eyes, she went on while he continued to grin. "Fine. If you're not going to tell me…" Ruby moved to block her though the second time he did so she sidestepped him while he smirked and replied, finally giving her the confirmation she needed.

"Showtime."

Going forward, Mercury blocked the younger girl's path with fully extended arms so that, regardless of where she moved to, she was completely blocked in her field of motion. Also knowing that she didn't have any form of a distraction on her like Elizabeth Morell had, Mercury felt no fear at doing this though he was caught off guard when she, in panic, grimaced before spinning forward in application of her semblance. All he saw was a blur of red and rose petals speeding towards her in anger though he managed to kick her mid-way through her dash with his boots, effectively knocking her to the ground. Taking out her scroll, she was just about to call her contacts for help when she looked at him in shock when a bullet from one of his boots shattered her device into many shards on the ground. Lowering his leg from the kick that had knocked her down, Mercury continued to move towards her while speaking.

"Let's just keep this between us friends…"

Attempting to block yet another kick from the boy, Ruby found herself getting smacked in the face with his boot. Finally managing to get out of the fire of his subsequent attack, she leapt over his leg and spiraled past him with his semblance, getting almost all of the way down the long corridor. Kicking herself off of the wall and falling to the ground, Ruby pumped her arms furiously as she continued her mad dash towards the exit, successfully evading the associate of Cinder Fall that she now knew for certain had framed her sister for his nonexistent injury.

* * *

**_October 3rd_**

**_Amity Colosseum_**

**_8:45 PM_**

In the vast arena of the Amity Colosseum, Pyrrha was smiling as she readied herself for her fight though there was a part of her that felt sick. Remembering her mother's warning to never trust her gut over her logic, Pyrrha shook off the feeling and waved towards Penny who was smiling brightly before she politely saluted her opponent and then placed her hands on her hips in excitement. Looking up to her team in the stands, Pyrrha watched Jaune waving at her and she smiled back to him while Ren was faintly applauding and cheering. Nora, of course, was the most energetic of her teammates and was half bouncing in her seat out of pure excitement, shouting almost nonsensical words of encouragement to her that she nonetheless appreciated. She knew that Aphrodite had tried to be there when she had made it into the finals of the Vytal Festival Tournament, but a mission in their hometown in Mistral had come up unexpectedly and she couldn't bring herself to pass it up. Despite wanting her mother present, Pyrrha truly did value her mother's courage and placing her beliefs first because she knew that her mother honestly wanted to protect and defend other people.

"Salutations, Pyrrha Nikos!" Penny exclaimed, her hands still on her hips in excitement. "It's an honor to finally meet you!"

"It's very nice to meet you as well," Pyrrha replied with a smile and Penny beamed in response.

"This is going to be so much fun!" The girl exclaimed, looking around while Pyrrha raised an eyebrow upon seeing Emerald Sustrai leaning forward with a glare on her face.

"3...2...1…" Oobleck began quickly, leaning forward as he announced the fight. "Begin!"

To Pyrrha's surprise, Penny surrounded herself with her floating swords and shifted them around her at will just before she launched several of them towards Pyrrha who ran towards them - leaping through and sometimes deflecting the oncoming blades. The weapons all flew through the air before they began to turn back towards to her and the fight. Her shield on her back, Pyrrha twirled her javelin to block the swords swiping at her though she dropped her weapon to perform a somersault in order to evade a slash. Naturally, she magnetically returned the javelin to her hand just as she noticed Penny holding her next set of blades at the ready while Port continued his commentary.

"My word! What a tremendous display by Miss Polendina!"

Almost directly after these words, the broadcast silenced both of the commentators on what appeared, from the distance, to be Oobleck's command while General James Ironwood, General Emmeline Ciel, and the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Morell, entered the box. Coming back to the fight, her face hardened by it, Pyrrha rushed forward to jump a top an oncoming sword and began to swing down on Penny. The girl backed away like she did, and Pyrrha began to defend herself against the swords that were relentless with her weapon's full length but still got pushed heavily backwards and found herself needing to roll her shield onto her arm once again with her polarity. She could hear people cheering and she could see Ren pumping his fist and Jaune watching her in worry though no one's words were helping her as the feeling of something being wrong continued to take her over. Seeing her semblance bend her weapons unnaturally, Pyrrha fixed them immediately while the green haired girl, Emerald, continued to stare at her with a narrowed gaze.

Spinning almost erratically, Pyrrha managed to deflect and dodge all of the swords while once again getting close enough to pain to slash her with her spear and sending her back. At the same time, she bat the blades back while they were called back to Penny who stopped and motioned differently, allowing her weapons to fold into laser rifles that began to open fire on Pyrrha as she approached. Avoiding the blasts while fighting off the still with standing swords, Pyrrha slid into a new position to charge at the girl and knock her backwards while straightening with a victorious grin though it quickly faded into dizziness as Penny blasted forward with her weapons which allowed her to leap into the air and come down hard on her opponent. Rolling up to her feet again, a sword knocked her shield off and did the same to her blade while attempting to get her blade back with her polarity but uses the power instead to send a sword into the girl's side but it disappeared behind her instead, allowing her a chance to strike again.

Emerald continued to stare angrily down into the arena and suddenly a sharp sound like gunshot was heard and everyone looked up in shock and, even from where she was, Emerald could see Elizabeth Morell shaking while James Ironwood and Emmeline Ciel froze in shock. Down in the arena, to Pyrrha's perception, the eight blades that Penny had out multiplied once but then doubled and tripled. Though it wasn't real, Pyrrha stepped back unsteadily as all of the eight swords moved towards her in the guise of triple that, her vision completely blocked all around. Seeing, supposedly, hundreds of swords flying at her, Pyrrha closed her eyes tightly and used her semblance to send them back to the girl who was unwittingly affected by the magnetic shock wave. A brief moment was all Pyrrha had to break out of the trance, but it was too late and Penny's arms were spread all the way and she gasped in shock while the strings of her weapons curled tightly around her left arm and midsection - all of which crumpled under the force and sliced the electronics within the android girl. Staring at what she had done, Pyrrha's mouth was agape and her eyes in horror while Port came back over the commentary while Ironwood stared at the terrible scene in equal horror, Emmeline let out what looked to be a short scream and then tried to reach for the microphone but stopped when Elizabeth actually vomited to the side upon seeing the dark, lifeless pupils that overtook Penny's eyes while she shut down forever.

"No!" Port exclaimed as Penny's remains sparked with electricity.

Placing a hand to his ear while the arena lowered, Oobleck called to the broadcasters. "Broadcast, what are you doing? Kill the feed!"

Through the earpiece, they replied in fear. "Something's wrong! We don't have control of the cameras! We can't even stop the broadcast!"

"What?" Oobleck demanded as Elizabeth stood up from the rubbish bin to which she had been vomiting and listened as his response was cut short while the background behind Port and Oobleck shifted to a sickeningly familiar bright red while Cinder's Red Queen symbol hovered over the scene and Elizabeth bit back another wave of nausea and sick as the all too familiar voice spoke. "How is that possible -"

"This is not a tragedy," She began. "This was not an accident. This is what happens when you hand over your trust, your safety, your children, to men and women who claim to be our guardians but are, in reality, nothing more than that. Our foreign leaders, but more specifically our Academies' Headmasters, wield more power than most armies and one was audacious enough to control both. They cling to power in the name of peace, and yet, what do we have here? One nation's attempt at a synthetic army, mercilessly torn apart by another's star pupil. What need would Atlas have for a soldier disguised as an innocent little girl. I don't think the grimm can tell the difference. I won't dawdle on the subject, but it looks like Atlas' head of security, Elizabeth Morell, certainly looks worse for this, doesn't she? Apart from being scared by her past, she clearly knew something about the android - otherwise, would she have puked upon seeing her being destroyed?"

Elizabeth shook as she leaned heavily against the wall, a dizzy feeling starting on her as she ran out of the box to find others while her assailant continued her speech. Emmeline shared a look with James and then ran after her as well, though primarily to get to her ship and pull it off of the Atlas security network before it could be hacked or stolen.

"And what, I ask you, is Ozpin teaching his students. First a dismemberment and now this? Huntsmen and Huntresses should carry themselves with honor and mercy, yet I have witnessed neither. Perhaps Ozpin felt as though defeating Atlas in the Tournament would help people forget his colossal failure to protect Vale when the grimm invaded its streets. Or perhaps this was his message to Atlas's second tyrannical dictator from a well-known political dynasty? Oh, James Ironwood is at fault here but no more than Ronnie Ciel, the Atlesian President. This is, of course, Atlas - the kingdom that has occupied another unsuspecting kingdom with its armed forces. But, honestly, I haven't the slightest clue as to who is right and who is wrong...but I know the existence of peace is fragile, and the leaders of our kingdoms conduct their business with iron gloves.

"As someone who...hails from Mistral, I can assure you the situation there is...equally undesirable. Our kingdoms are on the brink of war, yet we, the citizens, are left in the dark. So I ask you the same thing that Atlesian General Emmeline Ciel did years ago: When the first shots are fired...who do you think you can trust?"

The warning alarm began to ring out through the entire colosseum while everyone looked up in terror at the screens flashing orange and reading CAUTION. Followed by this was the warning announcement and everyone began to flee through the tunnels. "Alert. Incoming grimm attack. Threat Level: Nine. Please seek shelter in a calm and orderly manner."

Knowing that the panic would only draw more grimm, James tried to control that though to no avail as a large Nevermore began to peck at the defenses of the Amity Colosseum with its beak. "Ladies and gentlemen, please. There is no need for panic."

Through the speculation however, his scroll began to go off and he cursed as he answered it though Ozpin spoke first. "The hell -"

Looking up at the nevermore, James cut him off though stammering. "Ozpin, the girl...I...I...I can explain!"

"You brought your army to my kingdom, James," Ozpin told him, pausing before finishing in unusual anger. "Use it."

* * *

**_October 3rd_**

**_Beacon Academy Courtyard_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:34 PM_**

"Damn it!" Elizabeth said, pulling out her gun after putting away her scroll. "Fuck! Where's…we need to -"

"I know," Emmett said, his seven year old son tightly in his arms, as he handed her some raw Dust crystals while she raised an eyebrow. "My nieces have access to these things easily. Not that I don't, but…"

"Emmett, what the hell am I supposed to do with raw Dust? While we wait for Emmeline, god damn it! Honestly…" Elizabeth paused and took them regardless and dropped them in her bag. "My gun uses Dust rounds, not -"

"I don't know!" Emmett exclaimed as they ran into Caitlin, Team IGDG, and Team SAML. "Okay, I sort of just either imbue it into my sword or throw it. Do it however you like, I don't fucking care, and I doubt it matters!"

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes as all of them temporarily stopped moving. "What does that -"

Groaning Emmett shook out his long white waves before sighing. "Eliza, just put the thing in the thing! That's how it works! You put one thing into or thrust it at the other thing and it works!"

Smirking, Elizabeth crossed her arms with her gun still in hand. "Oh, so like sex?"

"Yes!" Emmett said, laughing while Caitlin tried not to, Ivy stared at her feet, and the rest of them didn't hold back. "Yes!" He exclaimed in exasperation. "Exactly like sex, but without the sex!"

"Okay," Elizabeth said, steadying herself for a fight as they started towards the nearby runway for transport landings. "I'll remember that and go fuck my enemies over with it."

"That's the spirit!" Emmett screamed as she ran ahead. "Go fuck them over!"

"Fuck?" Edward asked, looking at him though the young boy squirmed in fear when he saw some of the grimm. "Fuck!"

Emmett giggled in spite of himself. "We just have to get to your mother's ship and then it will all be okay. All of you," Emmett sent Caitlin, Team IGDG, and Team SAML a sharp look. "This isn't safe for any of us, and –"

"Oh...oh!" A terrifyingly familiar voice said as it walked in front of them, her glass heels clicking against the asphalt. "Emmett! Looks like you've got General Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch's brats as well as your own and a few others!"

Emmett set down his son and slapped her.

"Oh, really, don't even start with me!" Cinder screeched, feeling the sting from the smack while her eyes sparked in demonstration of her abilities as a maiden. "I am not afraid of anyone, much less you! I know what I'm after, I know that I'm after -"

"And what are you after?" Emmett challenged while her gaze shifted to Sam wrapping an arm tightly around Caitlin. "What are you after, Ashlynn Schnee?"

Cinder smiled slightly as she summoned her glass sword into her hand and began to move towards Caitlin and Sam before turning to her 'brother'. "You know why I do everything I have to do...I..have no point, and I…I'm very much after power. This is what you get, Emmett," Cinder told him while he drew his sword and used his semblance to knock her back. "If you're going to play hero, then be ready to die because that's exactly what happens to those who try too hard to be heroes. Too bad Glynda and James won't see their eldest again...maybe it would have been better if she had killed herself..."

"No!" Caitlin screamed, her vision still blurred as she didn't dare try anything. "No…"

Everything seemed to happen in an instant. Cinder prepared herself to kill but paused upon another joining the scene – one of her allies. He paused upon seeing Ivy and then spoke to her twin, his voice purely venomous.

"So," Adam Taurus growled. "You're the damn prosecutor that would put me behind bars, given the first chance like the rest of them."

"Adam don't –" Ivy started, but she was frozen.

Adam charged towards the defenseless Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch, his blade drawn to kill, but he was stopped by a sudden shot to his foot and Emmett Schnee all but jumping in front of Caitlin and parrying the blade with his own sword. Yet Adam managed to break through just long enough to scratch the eldest Ironwood-Goodwitch slightly underneath her right eye. Then there was another gunshot. Adam whipped around and, horrified when he saw Emmeline Ciel approaching, began to run away. Yet he turned back and locked his gaze with Ivy's for long enough for all of them to get at least an inkling that something may have been going on between them. Without a word, though, he was gone, and Cinder took advantage of the moment to disappear in a haze, looking for that damn champion of Beacon Academy so that she could finally kill her. After all, she was more than certain that was her target. Soon enough, she would truly be the Fall Maiden.

Or so she thought.

"Emmett?" Glynda ran towards them, Emmeline following shortly behind. Her crop was in hand as she ran from the Beacon CCTS tower with Qrow not far behind while they saw Cinder swiftly escape behind a cloud of fire Dust. "Damn it!"

"Oh thank god!" Emmett tightly embraced his wife and then looking worriedly to Glynda, who had pulled her eldest (and noticeably shaken) daughter in close. "You're alright...where's James?"

Glynda sighed. "Torchwick took over his ship so he's attempting to escape to the city. I'm going into the city myself, but –"

"Cristal and Ozpin are heading back to Atlas," Emmeline told Emmett as soon as he stopped kissing her. "We should too."

Annetta glanced to her buzzing scroll. Her mother had texted her, telling her to meet them at Emmeline's ship with her, her father, Carleigh, Nathan, and Oliver. The time stamp was from a half hour prior. Glynda embraced both of her daughters tightly one last time, and then she ran off towards the city by train, ready to meet up with James downtown. Caitlin looked about to cry when she left, almost as if she were a child again, and Emmett all but dragged her to Emmeline's ship, both teams running and Edward clutching his mother's hand as he kept up with her as best he could. The sky seemed darker than it ever had, and they were all scared. For all she had trained, for everything that she had prepared for, Emmeline knew this had never been it. Atlas claimed they were always prepared for a war, and, in many ways, they had been at war since 2001 but this was different. Even after the doors to the transport ship closed behind them, something felt wrong.

Everything was wrong.

"Annie!" Cristal's voice broke when she saw her daughter, who suddenly dropped her axe on the floor and ran towards her mother to hug her tightly. Cristal started stroking her daughter's hair, and Ozpin embraced both of them, relieved that they were alright.

"I should be fighting, it's…" Ozpin trailed off upon meeting Cristal's gaze and then he shook his head. "I'm just glad you're all okay."

"We're taking off," Emmeline told them, stepping out of the cockpit and looking rather torn between being scared or exhausted. "We'll be in the city of Atlas – landing at Atlas Academy – in five hours…provided everything goes well."


	55. Fight: Part 3

**_October 3rd_**

**_Amity Colosseum Docking Bays_**

**_10:45 PM_**

The chaos continued to ensue as people continued to escape through the docking bays of the Amity Colosseum while the Atlesian Soldiers directed them as calmly as possible to the Air Buses that would take them to safety. There was one girl that broke down into tears while someone else tried to comfort her although it certainly didn't help when the White Fang used some stolen bullheads to drop more of the creatures of grimm of by the docking bay near where two Atlesian Specialists - one of which was Winter Schnee - were escorting General James Ironwood. The specialists quickly took out an ursa but a goliath Beowolf turned up behind them. Noticing the Beowolf while ordering the two specialists to stay back, James began to run towards it and steadily gained speed as he moved towards the grimm that was charging at him.

Taking his revolver quickly out of his coat, James ducked under the first swipe of the Beowolf while sliding under the second attack by the creature - following this immediately by shooting at the grimm several times before it began to charge towards him once again. Firing another few shots, James ducked under yet another swipe before catching the impending one with his cybernetic right hand. With some control, the General sent a shot to the monster's feet with the explosion sending it in the air and, still retaining a hold on it, James swung it harshly down to the ground before lifting up and shooting it through the skull while its inky blood splattered out before it dissipated. The grimm gone, James began to walk towards his dropship with Winter and her partner though stopped when the students gathered and Ruby looked at him with slight concern for what was going to happen to all of them.

"What's going on?" The silver eyed girl asked.

Looking to her first but then addressing everyone else, James started. "Grimm are crawling all over the city. The White Fang's invaded Beacon, and, to make matters worse, some...vagabond has seized one of my ships. Until we regain command, the skies are out of our control. So I'm -" James cut himself off as he shot a creep that was attempting to attack before finished and turned for his ship. "Going to take it back."

"What should we do?" Jaune asked and the General stopped and turned to face the students who were exchanging looks.

"You have two choices. Defend your kingdom and your school...or save yourselves. No one will fault you if you leave." Finally getting onto the dropship with the two specialists, James gave one last order before temporarily looking back at his son who was holding his sword at the ready for a grimm attack. "Let's move out!"

The dropship took off quickly and Winter and the other specialist monitored the going ons from the back that was completely clear while the General flew towards the city. What they didn't know, however, was that James's former teammate was commanding one of the Atlesian command ships and had seen the General take off in an attempt to get to the city. His hands focusing on the controls while he fidgeted with them as if he were a giddy child, Roman smirked as he began to look for the controls for the ship's guns so that he could shoot down the General's dropship. Finally finding it, Roman laughed and adjusted his hat before he began to set the aim for his target. In the dropship itself, however, James and the specialists were unaware of what Torchwick was doing until a sharp jolt hit the back of the ship and Winter opened the door to the cockpit in panic while her partner jumped out of the back as the smoke began to trail into it. Locking the door to avoid the smoke for as long as possible, James looked at Winter in confusion before the dropship quickly began to plummet to the ground.

"No!" James shouted angrily, turning to Winter who was shaking. "Schnee, is there anyway -"

Using a time dilation glyph, Winter slowed down time just enough for them to be able to survive the crash though they were coughing heavily as the smoke filled the area. Half of his uniform had torn off which exposed his cybernetic right side. Winter herself felt almost dizzy from the sudden smoke inhalation though, when she realized that they had landed in a part of the downtown sector, there was a moment of temporary relief when they managed to escape the crash site and head towards the main part of the city where the grimm were attacking. She and her partner hadn't yet noticed their uniforms and hair, too, were in utter disarray. Back on the airbus that had allowed their escape from the Colosseum, however, all of the students were watching in horror while they watched the dropship fall from the sky.

Almost gleeful for having done what he had assumed killed his former teammate, in contrast to the students, Roman was still playing with the controls while talking to himself. "Hmm...let's see, what does...this button do?" A noise was heard and Roman began to giggle as he pressed another one. "Oh, fun! How about...this one?" Hearing nothing in response, Roman shrugged. "Hm. Alright, nothing."

Her Atlesian Military disguise still on, Neo entered the room with a scroll that Cinder had infected with her Red Queen virus and he inserted into the console of the ship while laughing again.

"Oh ho ho! Now this one, this one's going to be fun!"

While Neo walked away and began to wander the ship, Roman infected the Atlesian Knight 200s - the virus turning their LED lights a foreboding crimson as the few squadrons that were in Vale turned on the huntsmen and huntresses as well as the soldiers and specialists. Though not an imminent threat as they were all quickly dispatched and the Atlas Military personnel continued to fight alongside the huntsmen and huntresses that were fighting for Beacon and for Vale, it was still a start for many and subsequently, as Elizabeth finally rendezvoused with Glynda and Qrow in the City Of Vale, it seemed things were about to take a turn for the worse. They temporarily paused in shock before Elizabeth shot off the two heads of the AK-200s that were advancing on them.

"What the hell was that?" Glynda asked, knocking back the last one with her crop. "Elizabeth -"

"I don't fucking know!" The chair of the Atlesian National Security Council declared in exasperation. "I'm just -"

Elizabeth and Qrow began to fight again while everything seemed to be folding in on itself. All of them were yelling at each other, and Elizabeth knew her hands were shaking while she reloaded her gun. Qrow gave her some cover, but she still had a terrible feeling that it wouldn't be enough. Glynda knocked back several creeps with her riding crop in the meanwhile, but even she was starting to worry that things were going to be even worse. In a moment, she thought she might be right. Unexpectedly, several beringels began to surround them, pushing the three of them into a corner. Then, much to their surprise, the grimm were shot through the head and an ursa was taken out by a blur of white and blue that slowly stopped while smoke cleared nearby and James walked out, taking out the remaining grimm without hesitation before looking to all of them.

"This area's secure, we need to -" James said while Qrow's expression began to shift to apparent anger as he charged towards James who flipped his revolver in hand before steadying himself for the attack. "Qrow, this isn't my doing!"

The younger man swung his scythe quickly as he sped past the General who turned fast enough to see the griffon lunging towards him. The single swing sliced the grimm in two and, once landed and setting his scythe on his shoulder, Qrow scoffed.

"You idiot," He said, rolling his eyes. "I know you didn't do this."

James temporarily relaxed with a sigh and lowered his head, placing a hand on his forehead, while Glynda rested a hand on his shoulder before speaking, her voice shaking. "Jamie…"

Shifting to face her, he met her gaze with worry. "What happened -"

"The girls left with Ozpin, Cristal, Emmeline, and Emmett," Glynda told him quietly as she tried to steady herself. "And…"

"What?" He said, cupping her cheek. "Glyns –"

"Hate to be the bearer of more bad news," Elizabeth started, swearing under her breath as she looked at her scroll's feed of internal security cameras. "But Cinder's in the vault…she must be looking for –"

"Amber's powers," Qrow surmised, swearing when he realized Winter had come up behind him. "Oh, goddamn it, Ice Queen –"

"Sir, I believe I may have some –" Winter started, straightening herself out and turning to James.

"I'm sure," He said, putting up a hand to silence her. "And, once this situation calms down a little, I believe I have answers."

Elizabeth fired another shot at an approaching grimm, and the silence that followed hung for a time.

"So, what now, General?" Qrow finally asked.

James looked to Glynda, who was ever so lightly leaning into him as he spoke and rubbed her back. "Someone's done the impossible and gained control of my machines. And that enormous grimm seems to be fixated on the school. Glynda…" He said gently, knowing she was upset even if she wouldn't admit it. "You and Elizabeth can form up the local huntsmen and establish a safe zone here in Vale. We need to evacuate Beacon… Qrow, I'm leaving that to you, Schnee, and the rest of my men. I still need to get to my ship."

Upon hearing a loud crashing noise, all of them turned to see the source while they observed James's ship slowly nose dive into the ground.

Qrow laughed dryly. "Well," He remarked. "It won't be much of a walk."

* * *

**_October 3rd_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:39 PM_**

"We've got to hurry!" Ruby called to Weiss as they finished clearing the grimm away and she looked to the tower. "It's -"

Analyzing the side, her partner nodded and used several glyphs to bounce her up towards the tower while the red haired girl used her semblance to get herself the last bit of the way up. As soon as she deemed it was safe, Weiss used her glyphs again to send herself up after though, when she saw her aunt again, she felt his stomach constrict and a sinking feeling weighing her down while a spike headache began. Forcing herself up and landing just beyond the ledge, Weiss stood next to Ruby in horror while Pyrrha fell to over, her aura flickering and depleted. Cinder had not noticed either of them and was focused solely on her target, who she believed was the key to the powers she had craved and been charged with obtaining no matter the cost.

"Oh, Champion," Cinder said, shaking her head and looking at the considerably weakened huntress with a patronizing stare. "You are almost as talented as your mother, if the rumors I've heard are to be believed. It's too bad she'll never see the fruits of her labors."

Suddenly, the sorceress and former Schnee glanced over to where Weiss and Ruby were and froze the red-headed girl with her magic and tried to knock her niece off of the tower. Weiss felt herself trip into a free fall off the tower, but she caught herself with what little energy she had to spare by pushing all of her aura into a glyph that slowed her down enough for her to only slide loosely into safety. She didn't dare try to get back up there, but she was terrified for Ruby. Even more so, she was almost certain of what her aunt's plans for Pyrrha were and none of them were pretty. It was the end of something, and Weiss brushed tears away from her eyes. It stung like hell, and she was almost certain, in that moment, that everything she had known had changed.

"Do you believe…in destiny…" Pyrrha forced out, meeting the unwavering gaze of her opponent.

"Yes," Cinder shortly replied. "And it is my destiny to –"

"No!" Ruby screamed as she began to run at Cinder, whose binds had weakened considerably but not enough to release her from them.

"I haven't got a choice, here," Cinder informed Pyrrha, patting her cheek for a moment. "Sorry."

Summoning a flaming bow with only a single arrow, Cinder readied herself to shoot it into her young opponent, enjoying the fact that she was torturing her that scythe wielding girl that had followed into the trap. Her semblance finally breaking from the glyph, Ruby attempted to run at Cinder but she found herself so weakened that she fell to her knees and was helpless to do anything as Pyrrha bowed her head and set down her weapons. It seemed she had accepted her fate. Cinder deftly released the arrow, and watched the girl disintegrate. Then she screamed. There was no change, no power. Her target had been wrong. She turned towards Ruby, thinking she had been the real maiden, but then realized she couldn't have been. She was too young to have such control as to hide them and the former Schnee knew that her psychitity would have revealed it the first time she had touched that brat's scythe.

Before long, and in nothing short of pure rage, Cinder summoned a glass sword and ignored her first-born niece running towards her sister below. The former Schnee turned to Ruby but she was not fast enough. By the time she had thrown the sword, the girl wasn't an easy target and was instead suddenly levitated from the ground. Her arms were spread perfectly sideways while a bright white light left her eyes in response to the horror of all of the torture and all of the pain while it surrounded her. On the ground, Winter and Weiss heard their aunt scream something incoherent and, by the time Ruby went unconscious and fell off the tower, Winter was ready to catch her with a glyph - doing so just as Elizabeth walked off an airship from the city and saw her assailant barely escape once again, this time with the help of some unrecognizable figures.

They were all wearing masks, and some of them were shrouded by the darkness.

* * *

**_October 4th_**

**_Atlesian Air Space_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:28 AM_**

Ivy swallowed hard as she watched and listened to everything. Cristal and Ozpin had long stepped into a different room of the transport and their kids had followed. About an hour before, Devin Katt had become suddenly rather curious, alongside Grace Wile and Genevieve Sieben, about how the ship flew and had stepped into cockpit and sat down while they watched everything the military pilot did and took in everything they could see. It certainly wasn't standard practice for the Atlas military, but the fact that Emmeline had deemed it acceptable has made it so. Now, alone in the small main part of the transport were the Ciel-Schnees and the Ironwood-Goodwitch twins. Samara had sat down beside Caitlin, whose hands were badly shaking again as she tried to adjust her glasses. Lysithea had set down her sword and gun awhile before and looked rather dejected against the wall. Her long white hair was in tangles and it seemed she didn't care what was happening. She was numb. Edward had come over beside her and was trying to play, but she barely even smiled. Emmett was still holding Emmeline tightly against him, rubbing her back, stroking her hair, and murmuring to her. Ivy felt cold seeing them and gently pressed a hand against her still flat abdomen, wanting to sob. Even if Adam hadn't done what he had done just hours before, things would never have been like that. She was now feeling as if her world had been shattered, and she was done for. Either way, she was done hiding.

"Guys…" She said, her voice shaking. "I…"

"What is it?" Caitlin looked immediately to her sister in concern, and Samara tightened an arm tightly around her. The eldest Ciel-Schnee knew that Cate could feel all of the energy radiating from the auras around her, and she knew it was making everything worse.

"Ivy?" Emmeline said gently, noticing how frigidly the twenty-year-old huntress' hands seemed to be shaking. "Are you –"

"No," She choked out. "I just…"

"You look sick," Lysithea noted, gesturing for her to sit down which the young huntress hesitantly did. "Is something wrong?"

"In some ways," Ivy admitted, burying her face in her hands and crying for a long moment.

Emmett sighed. "Come on, get it out there. Is it what happened? Ivy, we're all fine, and –"

"One person won't be," Ivy said weakly, bleary eyed. "This time next year, they'll probably feel as alone as I do now…and they're going to be stuck with me."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "Ivy, you're talking nonsense."

"I'm not," She said, staring at her hands and unable to meet their gazes. "I…I've been seeing someone… someone none of you will approve of since the day of the breach. Maybe it was a mistake, maybe it was poor judgement, but it was what I needed, what I wanted for once in my fucking life…and while he tried to kill my sister and I'll never forgive him that…he's the reason I'm…he…Adam…is the reason I'm pregnant."

An awful silence befell them for what seemed like the longest time.

"Adam Taurus?" Caitlin finally said, her voice airy in disbelief.

Ivy nodded weakly. "Yes."

"Adam Taurus?" Her sister repeated, screaming as she stood up. "You've been seeing Adam _fucking_ Taurus – a terrorist – and you –"

"He was different when I knew him six years ago but I thought he was still –" Ivy weakly protested.

"That was six years ago!" Her sister shouted. "Six goddamn years ago, which, if I hadn't gotten as lucky as I have five times by now, I may not have fucking survived if I hadn't –"

"Maybe if you –" Ivy yelled back.

"We are at war with the group Adam is in and supports!" Caitlin bellowed over her sister. "And you've been seeing him and are having his kid? What the hell else have you done?, Told him things we hear about every so often at home but can't repeat? Is that how Cinder knew about PENNY because you did months ago and told Adam?"

"I had nothing to do with that, I swear I never revealed a damn –" Ivy started, sobbing again.

"Really?" Caitlin disdainfully shrieked. "By the sound of it, you're a traitor, a –"

"Cate –" Samara began, following quickly after her but pausing when she disappeared.

Samara hesitated but went off in the same direction she had before Cate's semblance had overpowered her because of her emotions, forcing her to vanish against her will. More silence followed their exits, and there was an ominous edge that seemed to hold over them. Lysithea pulled Edward away and into another small room to play checkers, leaving Emmett and Emmeline alone with her. They were both incredulous at words and were still staring at her in utter disbelief.

"I can't believe this," Emmett said, shaking his head ruefully. "Treason…it's…no, I can't. I can't deal with this right now."

He stepped out of the room as well, throwing his hands up in exasperation and leaving only Emmeline and Ivy in the main room. A terse silence was all that was between them for the longest time, and the general said nothing until she heard the door slam behind Emmett as he joined Lily and Eddie in another one of the transport's small rooms. For just a moment, Emmeline eyed Ivy sadly, her arms crossed.

"What you did," She finally said. "I want you to know, is not treason. It was a mistake...and stupid, but you're young and you're human. I'm sure you'll have to answer a few things to Elizabeth and a few ranking members of the security council, but you'll be cleared so long as you tell the whole truth."

"I know," Ivy sniffed, feeling as though her tears would betray her again.

Emmeline sighed. "Ivy –"

The twenty-year-old huntress looked up suddenly upon Emmeline tightly embracing her, holding her as if she were still a small child, and, after a time, Ivy began to tell her everything.

* * *

**_October 6th_**

**_Patch_**

**_1:32 PM_**

"Ruby?" Elizabeth asked, gently pushing the door to the room open and sitting down on the foot of the girl's bed while she sat up. "Are you doing any better?"

She bit her lip and looked at her nervously. "I...I don't know. I…I...I felt this weird pain in my head and everything went white…"

Elizabeth hesitated, remembering the conversation she and Tai had had a few days prior about Ruby's silver eyes. "Have Qrow or Tai talked to you about this yet?"

"Talked to my daughter about what?" Qrow asked, leaning into the doorway with his flask in hand. "I think she just woke up."

Standing up and glaring at him, Elizabeth sighed and pulled Ruby into a tight embrace before looking at her sadly. "I'm going to be in Atlas for the next several weeks with Tai, Violet, and Yang. You and Qrow can come too but...there's a lot I have to answer for now as the chair of the security council."

"Was Penny your fault?" Qrow demanded though he felt guilty when seeing the tears rise in her eyes again. "Sorry, I...I should have realized. You're not resigning, are you?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "I'm going to answer to my mistakes and assert to the rest of the world that the United Kingdom Of Atlas is more than happy to deal with whatever questions foreign leaders might have. Not to much surprise, Vale is the most accommodating while Varna has already made some...reasonably sharp comments about having AK-200s in Vale to being with, stating that although the soldiers and Special Operatives, alongside huntsmen and huntresses, overpowered them quickly that it shouldn't have gone as far as it did. The Valerian President commented on the necessity of finding Cinder Fall, though that's something everyone agrees on. I just...I'm sorry, I have a lot on my…with all that's…"

"If you're blaming yourself for all this, don't," Qrow told her as she left the room. "I know you blame yourself for so much, but Penny's death wasn't your fault and neither was what happened that night."

Elizabeth sighed with tears in her eyes. "You don't know what it's like, but I appreciate the vote of confidence nonetheless."

As soon as she was gone, Qrow sighed and sat down in the chair next to her bed. "So, how you feeling?"

Ruby sighed as she looked to her father. "Um...I kind of hurt...all over…"

Qrow chuckled and crossed his arms. "That makes sense, after what you did."

"You guys keep saying that!" Ruby exclaimed, not understanding. "That I did something! What are you talking about?"

Qrow leaned forward. "What's the last thing you remember?"

"I was on top of the tower and...and Cinder had cornered Pyrrha!" Ruby said as she cried and tightly gripped her blanket while tears fell. "And...and Cinder….she...I think it was a trap because she tormented her, taunted, and…she shot her and Pyrrha…she fell over...and then the pain that was everywhere slammed into me with the world going white…"

"Anything else?" He asked gently while she wiped tears from her eyes.

"I remember..." Ruby swallowed hard. "I remember my...my...my head hurting…"

Qrow sighed. "That night you met Ozpin, what was the first thing he said to you?"

"I...I don't know!" Ruby said, unsure of why he asked that. "I think it was something about -"

"Silver eyes," Qrow finished for her. "That's an extremely rare trait."

"So?" The girl demanded and he looked at her seriously.

"You're special, Ruby," Qrow told her with his voice steady. "And not in the 'daddy loves his special angel' kind of way. You're special in the way your mom was. Remnant's full of legends and stories, some of them true, some made up. But there's one Oz told me from a very long time ago. Back before Huntsmen, before Kingdoms, it was said that those born with silver eyes were destined to lead the life of a warrior. You see, the creatures of Grimm, the most fearsome monsters mankind had ever encountered, were afraid of those silver-eyed warriors. They were the best of the best. It was said that even a single look from one of these fighters could strike a Grimm down. Heh. It's a ridiculous story."

Ruby looked at him oddly. "But...you think that I might be…"

Qrow laughed before looking at her seriously again and walking over to the window. "Well, a giant monster is currently frozen on top of Beacon Tower. And you're here, safe in bed."

"Wait...wait…" Ruby began slowly, eyeing his movements closely. "How did you know what Ozpin said to me...the night we met?"

Sighing, he turned to face her. "All those missions I go on...all the times I'm away in some far off place...it's been for Ozpin. But he's hiding in Atlas now. Something's been set into motion. With Oz being hard to contact, I'll have to pick up where we left off. We'll all have to make our way to Atlas eventually…but...Ruby we were a group and we were divided. I won't deny that and...maybe, just maybe, if we hadn't been Beacon wouldn't have fallen. But it doesn't matter, because what's done is done. We just have to move forward now. Somehow."

Miles and miles away in the capital city of the United Kingdom Of Atlas, Qrow wasn't alone in the feeling of having been divided. As soon as he set his bag down in his room with Edward safely asleep in his own room, Emmett found his gaze caught by the last full Schnee family picture that had been taken before Nicholas' death. From what Cristal had told him a month prior about her biological father to all of the betrayal that seemed to have marred them all, he couldn't help but feel guilty upon the hatred rising in his chest. Tears escaping him, Emmett set the image down and kicked off his shoes before he set his glasses aside and began to sob into the pillows. Anger towards his sister for what she had done and now recognizing it as a trap, Emmett cursed himself for being so ignorant, so hopeful yet and –

"Emmett?"

He glanced towards his wife, who had sat down on the edge of the bed beside him, her soft, warm hands gently on his back.

"I don't know what to do either," She finally said. "But…at the end of the day, there's not –"

"Anything we can do," Emmett finished, his voice weak and yet also bitter.

Emmeline leaned over and pressed a gentle kiss to his forehead.

"I'm right here when you want to talk," Emmeline told him, lightly squeezing his shoulder. "Even if –"

Emmett suddenly embraced her tightly, startling her for a moment.

"I'm sorry," He whispered. "For everything."

"It was never your fault…" She gently reminded him. "It never has been."

* * *

**_October 18th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_United Kingdom Of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:34 PM_**

"We know now, as intelligence reports continue to come in, that the terrorist attacks on Beacon Academy were orchestrated down to very last detail," Atlesian President Ronnie Ciel felt his hands tighten around the podium from which he was addressing the crowd of reporters in the presidential manor's press room. In that moment, he didn't try to release the tension. "While the details remain vital to national security, I am allowed to inform you of what transpired."

Murmurs of assent were heard and then fell silent upon Ronnie sighing heavily.

"The terrorist organization known as the White Fang was largely responsible for the attacks," He finally said, feeling sick with every word he spoke. "However, there was coordination between them, and the mob boss by the name of Roman Torchwick. As well, Cinder Fall, an escapee of maximum security prison in Atlas back in 2007, was present and involved as well. Torchwick is dead. Fall's status is unknown."

"President Ciel," A reporter said, standing up hesitantly. "What do you mean when you say Fall's status is unknown?"

"Fall was present and involved in what transpired," Ronnie began as calmly as he could muster. "However, she was last seen at the top of Beacon Tower and has not been seen since then. We believe she is alive, but we do not know where she is nor do we know how she escaped. What we do know is that she was aided by known-serial killer Tyrion –"

"Tyrion Callows is alive?" Another reporter incredulously exclaimed.

Ronnie nodded shortly. "Yes. Tyrion Callows was never confirmed dead but this has become a major concern, yes. Callows was a serial killer in Vale, and he is a dangerous. He is not in Atlas, but the State Department has issued restricted travel to Mistral and Vacuo, where he has been known to have received refuge before."

The room was almost in an uproar at the news, and Ronnie allowed the press secretary to calm the scene before he calmed himself to address the situation at hand as best that he could, all things considered, while the world seemed to crumble around them.


	56. Landslide

**_October 21st_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_Status: Alive_**

"Cinder…oh Cinder Fall…" Arthur Watts said as he glared at her, looking up from his scroll. "You've spent the last twenty years trying to gain the powers of the Fall Maiden and yet you still only have half of it. Quite the failure, if I were to assess."

Cinder began to shake in anger though she calmed slightly when Emerald moved directly to her side, nudging Mercury out of the way before subtly sticking her tongue out at Watts and responding for Cinder. "Says the man with one of the biggest scandals in -"

"Yes, yes, keep your posse in check," Watts told Cinder while Mercury grunted and began to move toward him though Emerald stopped his advance and Watts continued to speak. "You hear that? Silence. I've half a mind to thank the little girl that bested you."

"If I were you, I'd hunt her down," Tyrian snickered while he addressed Cinder. "Find her, and, well, she took your eye, didn't she?"

As the man continued to laugh, Cinder attempted to speak though couldn't and Watts rolled his eyes in her direction. "Pathetic, why did you even -"

From the back of the room, the large metal door unlatched before slowly opening as the others stood while Salem entered. Her footsteps just as soft as they always had been, Salem near gilded towards them while her baubles jangled. Facing away from them, she stared at the candle and crystal display before speaking.

"Watts," She said as she turned and he looked towards her while she gestured for all of them to sit. "Do you find such malignance necessary?"

Watts looked at her with slight fear. "I apologize, ma'am. I'm not particularly fond of failure."

"Then I see no reason for your cruelty towards young Cinder," Salem told him though she gave her apprentice a sharp look. "She has half of the powers of the Fall Maiden and, no, it is not her fault that our dear friends pulled a stunt with the other half while also destroying Beacon Tower. So, I'm curious, to what failures are you referring."

Watts hesitated but replied with conviction. "Well, the girl with the Silver Eyes."

"Yes," Hazel agreed. "We've dealt with their kind before. How is it a novice was able to best one of us?"

"My thoughts exactly," Watts said, sending him a grateful look. "Even without her new power...or at least part of her new power, it should have been effortless."

Salem narrowed her gaze at all of them. "It is because of the Maiden's power. Yes, she does not possess all of the power, but she carries it still and, make no mistake, Cinder, you hold the key to our victory. That is of course, once you obtain the other half from whomever Ozpin transferred it to…but your newfound strength brings with it a crippling weakness which is why you will remain by my side as we continue your treatment."

Unhappy, Cinder bowed her head while Emerald watched her sympathetically and spoke to her quietly.

"It's alright."

Ignoring her, Salem went on. "Dr. Watts, you are to take Cinder's place and meet with our informant in Mistral as she is currently…indisposed."

Watts nodded. "Very good."

"Tyrian," Salem said. "I want you to continue your hunt for the Spring Maiden."

The man laughed. "Gladly."

"And Hazel," Salem finished. "I'm sending you to the leader of the White Fang. Adam Taurus has arranged the meeting. The boy continues to prove loyal. Ensure that Sienna Khan feels the same way."

"As you wish," Hazel said while Cinder raised a finger.

"Oh!" Emerald said, leaning in to hear her while Cinder rasped into her ear before straightening while Salem observed her with a critical eye.

"Speak, child." Salem ordered.

"She wants to know…" Emerald hesitated before sighing. "What about the girl?"

Watts scoffed in annoyance. "What about her? Seems to me that this is Cinder's problem, not ours."

Cinder slammed her fist down hard against the table while glaring at him as he grinned at her.

"That's enough," Salem said, shifting her gaze. "Tyrion?"

"Yes…my lady?" The man said.

"Spring can wait. Find the girl that did this to Cinder," Salem ordered while he giggled in elation and clapped before she finished. "And bring her to me."

Tyrian froze and groaned, pouting childishly before looking to the Queen with a shrug while the woman brought her gaze back to Cinder. "Because of your efforts, Beacon has fallen. And Haven will be next."

Tyrian snickered while pointing to his own left eye as Cinder gritted her teeth in response to his maniacal laughter. "Eye for an eye."

"All of you!" Salem snapped, still looking at Cinder. "Get out...except for you."

"But -" Emerald protested, stopping when Salem's eyes flared. The green haired girl gently hugged Cinder before leaving with everyone else.

Staring at her apprentice critically once they were gone, Salem sighed. "Are you certain Ozpin escaped to Atlas?"

Cinder nodded. "Yes…" She said, barely more than a raspy whisper and Salem smirked.

"Go on…" She hissed.

Cinder swallowed and tried to raise her voice though she wasn't able. "He was on a transport…with the Ciels and…"

Salem shook her head. "Alright, then."

Cinder sighed. "What do we do with Emmett Schnee?"

"That is a matter to handle later," Salem sharply informed her. "First, well, Haven needs to fall first… but after that Atlas Academy will be next and that is when you will handle them. Before that…figure out who's the Fall Maiden and kill her. After that, you'll be more than free to kill your brother."

* * *

**_November 3rd_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:35 PM _**

The tension in the room was palpable and it only heightened when the front door to the Ironwood-Goodwitch house opened and Caitlin stepped in. She was fidgeting with her purse with one hand while the other was adjusting her glasses. Jake was laying on the couch, playing a game on his scroll but he sat up suddenly in surprise upon seeing his eldest sister. Between his two sisters, he had always spent the most time with her and had a hell of a time when she had gone off to university. Still, he had been shocked when he had heard how angry she had gotten when she had found out about Ivy's baby and the father. Their uncle, Trey Goodwitch, had been the only voice of reason to her ears.

"Angry or not, this is part of the family now!" Trey had snapped at his niece, who had taken a step back in surprise. "And that means we're all going to have to handle it. Being a bitch —"

"Trey —" Glynda started dangerously, sharing a worried look with James. They both knew their eldest was still under emotional duress.

"I'm sorry, but she needs to hear this," Trey said with finality. Hell, maybe we all do."

Thinking about it only made everything worse. For Jake's entire life, he had never imagined that Cate — the sister he looked up to as both a moral and intellectual influence — could be so angry, not with her own sister. She and Ivy were so different, but it seemed they had always balanced each other out. Until recently, anyways.

Yet now all of their lives had been turned upside down, and Jake could tell just by her slightly disheveled appearance (her natural, dark roots were plenty visible against her artificially white hair, for instance) that it was taking a toll on her. Samara had said as much; she had said she knew the trauma of the Fall was lingering over her. Much like his sister was in the doorway, now.

"Hi," She said slowly.

James set his computer aside and smiled at her, almost as relieved as Glynda that she had come home for even just a weekend. Since the Fall, she had buried herself in school-work and hadn't spent much time at home. Yes, she had come home and she had spent time with the rest of her family; save for one member. She had barely spoken to Ivy, yet she had been as chatty as usual (and clearly hopped up on her strong anti-anxiety medications that she was only supposed to take when she was having a panic attack). They knew she had also been on top of her antidepressant and her work but she had a nervous air over her, and it was clear she was still upset and trauma was returning to her (old and new alike). They all knew she would never admit it. In just the weeks since the Fall, she had returned to Atlesian life (for those from wealthy families, at any rate) and had all but turned into herself with her parents, Samara, Emmett, Emmeline, and her therapist being the only people able to get her to open up. Worried still, despite her daughter's repeated insistence that she was fine, Glynda tightly embraced her eldest. She smiled weakly. Her cat quickly ran into the room and started rubbing against her leg, and Cate picked her and started to scratch behind the small cat's ears, who meowed and purred happily for about a minute before Cate set her down.

"Ivy," She said softly, noticing her sister, who was sitting on the other couch, twisting her hair in her hands.

"I don't want to hear it," Ivy said, refusing to meet her gaze.

James sighed, looking worriedly to his eldest.

"Are you okay?" James asked her.

"I'm fine," She said softly. "Just conflicted with what…what to believe."

"Believe me," Ivy protested, still not looking at them. "I'm your sister…"

"And you…" Cate shook her head. "I still can't believe what you did."

"I'm a human being, and I made a mistake," Ivy swallowed hard. "But I'm not going to let you lay a hand on my child, no matter –"

"You think I want to?" Cate scowled at her. "I'm not mad at the kid, I'm angry with you!"

"Angry at me?" Ivy forced herself to meet her sister's harrowing gaze. "How can you be angry with me when your first girlfriend was older than you and an alcoholic? How can you be angry with me when you had your life threatened by the boy you were seeing a few years ago? How can you even talk, when you have always been such a –"

"Ivy!" Glynda sharply cut across her. "Don't you even dare! Your sister may not be clean, and she may have made plenty mistakes in her life but to bring trauma into this is –"

"You've always preferred her!" Ivy exclaimed, starting to cry. "Her and Jake! It's always been about them because she's troubled yet brilliant and he's normalish but sensitive as I'll get out, all things –"

"That's not true," James said shortly, trying to keep an even temper.

It had always been easiest for him to communicate with Ivy and Jake, in part because Cate was volatile. That was something which had more than once led to explosive arguments between father and daughter both in the distant (it's a square — just look at it!) and recent (who cares what the fuck they think the saw — she didn't attack the motherfucker!) past, but it seemed that this was about to go too far. They hadn't spoken of what had happened beyond a few weeks just after the fact because they preferred to have it dealt with and then never returned to. It had been all bad enough, even more so when it had plummeted their eldest into a deep depressive state and, even on medications, she still struggled with avoiding self-harm or drinking. Those, too, were things they rarely spoke of, in part because it had prevailed since just before she had turned eighteen. No one had dredged up any of the messier parts of their family history — for any of them — since. He and Glynda had always emotionally supported all three of their children and thrown money at the problems they needed to go away and that was that. To bring it back up in any context had been unthinkable. The money and favors had always done what had needed to be done.

At least, they had until recently.

"Ivy," Glynda finally said, her arms crossed. "This is not helpful, and we're not getting anywhere by sniping at each other."

"She called me a traitor!" Ivy stood up, her hands shaking as she pointed to her sister. "My own sister accused me of treason because I made a mistake –"

"You and I both know that anger can cause both her and your father to snap things they don't mean," Glynda reminded her. "We are trying to handle this as best we can as a family, and none of you are making it better."

Cate bit her lip. "Am I not entitled to my anger?"

"You are," Glynda said, pausing for a moment in hesitation. "But we can't do this."

"I just can't believe that I'm still a teenager and going to be an uncle," Jake shook his head. "I mean, it's cool and all but you and dad are still in your early-mid forties. Isn't it weird knowing you're going to have a grandchild?"

Glynda and James both paled the little they could and shared an almost incredulous look.

"Oh my God…" She said softly, then grabbing her coat and stepping out of the house, presumably to collect her thoughts before she said anything else.

An uncomfortable silence fell over them again and Cate awkwardly pulled out her scroll.

"Anyone want me to order a pizza?"

James raised an eyebrow. "You don't eat pizza; you never have."

She sighed and pulled an unopened bottle of red wine out of her unusually large purse.

"Yeah," She agreed. "That's why I have this."

Jake started laughing when she popped off the top and started drinking straight out of the bottle while Ivy seemed nothing short of numb. James, however, was never more concerned about what was going to happen to his family in the aftermath they laid before their feet.

* * *

**_November 10th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:29 PM_**

"Weiss?"

Willow Schnee hesitantly stepped into her daughter's room, her hands shaking against the doorframe. It had been a long day for all of them, to say the very least, and she and Jacques had had yet another argument that she knew her daughter and son had overheard. Winter had made herself scarcer than usual, and Willow knew even without texting James that her daughter was avoiding Jacques. She couldn't blame her. There was a lingering fear that something had happened and that Winter felt she was in danger, but she wrote it off to paranoia. It was impossible to be a Schnee without being paranoid; at the end of the day, she, Cristal, and Emmett always had been.

"Hi, mom," Weiss eventually said, turning around from where she was lightly perched in the window seat, sounding almost numb. "Is…something wrong?"

Willow shook her head as she gently shut the door. "No," She said slowly. "Not that I'm aware, yet."

Weiss sighed. "It's been a turbulent year."

"That I believe," Willow said, perhaps a bit darker than she had intended. "Are you doing okay?"

"Okay?" Weiss repeated, biting her lip. "Okay…well, I suppose although I'm relieved that I'm not under virtual house arrest."

Willow raised an eyebrow. "Are you trying to be melodramatic?"

"I wish," Weiss muttered. "It would make me feel better about all of the uncomfortable family dinners we've had since I was brought back from Beacon."

Willow eyed her worriedly. "I understand that…"

"I just hope things don't get worse," Weiss said softly. "For any of us."

Willow loosely embraced her daughter. "So do I, Weiss…" She murmured, wishing, for not the first time, that she could comfort her the way she had when the girl had been a child.

* * *

**_November 16th_**

**_Anima_**

**_4:19 PM_**

"We truly can't thank you enough," The mayor said as he spoke to Ruby and Team JNPR.

Ruby smiled. "Just doing our job, sir."

The mayor continued. "That geist had been plaguing our village for weeks. We were beginning to wonder if he'd have to relocate."

"Well, we are on our may to Mistral," Ruby told him while she set her weapons onto her back again. "You could always come along with us if you don't feel safe."

"Ha," The mayor said in amusement while the people continued about their lives peacefully around. "I take it you're not from these parts. Anima is a large continent. I'm afraid our people would never survive the long trek to Mistral. It may be safer in the kingdoms, but we prefer our way of life. I just wish we could pay you more."

Ren intervened politely. "Our previous arrangement is more than sufficient."

Prior to entering the armor shop, Ruby, alongside Team JNPR all bowed respectfully. As soon as the door slammed closed, they began to ease into the slightly cramped space while the blacksmith looked up and motioned Jaune towards him after looking over the designs for his new chestplate that he had drawn out. Nodding after they handed over the other designs that were for some extra modifications to his Crocea Mors that the Ivory Ironwood-Goodwitch hadn't fixed back and Jake Ironwood-Goodwitch hadn't designed while Team JNPR and Team IGDG were at Beacon, Ruby watched them all curiously. Turning to them while the blacksmith began his work, Jaune sighed as he held Pyrrha's scarf in his hands. He hadn't let it out of his sight since the Fall.

"I know, I wish Beacon hadn't fallen too," Ren told him while Nora wandered around with Magnhild in hand before she suddenly jumped Ruby from behind, causing the girl to scream in temporary terror. "But, Jaune, we're all moving on as best we can."

"But Cinder…" Jaune said, anger rising as he remembered what Ruby had briefly described to them when it came to what had happened on Beacon Tower. "She...she had no right to -"

"I agree, but other people who were involved are dead now," Ren reminded him, trying to be comforting. "Roman Torchwick, for instance."

Jaune nodded swore under his breath. "You're right...I just want things to be, irrationally, the way they were."

"There you go, son," The blacksmith said, placing the armor down in front of Jaune who turned to look. "It's going to be heavier than what you're used to, but you'll thank me the next time you go up against a set of claws."

Jaune stared at it in awe. "Wow….that...eh, I don't know what to say…"

"Don't gotta say anything!" The blacksmith declared, turning and going out back. "Just put it on! I'll go get the rest."

Nora eyed him as he continued to stare. "So, what are you waiting for?"

"Oh, uh right!" Jaune said in surprise, awkwardly removing his old chest plate. "Guess I was going to grow out of it eventually..."

"A sign of progress," Ren mused and Jaune nodded awkwardly before responding.

"Progress," He repeated as he turned around while Ruby gasped and covered her mouth unexpectedly as she bit back giggles. "What is it?"

The silver eyed girl pointed at his chest and the bunny emblem on it as she laughed. "What is that?"

"What, my hoodie?" Jaune asked, glancing down at it. "I've always had this."

Ruby snorted as she stared at it and continued to laugh. "It's got a cute little bunny rabbit!"

"It's Pumpkin Pete!" Jaune replied, not understanding what was so amusing to her. "You know, from the cereal?"

Near hysterics, the Ruby Ariana Branwen-Rose continued to laugh as she pressed on. "What did you do? Send in a box top for a prize?"

Jaune turned away in embarrassment. "Yeah!" He exclaimed. "Fifty!"

Though Ruby continued to laugh hysterically, eventually falling onto the floor, Nora giggled.

"I think your hoodie is adorable," She said slyly. "Especially with Pumpkin Pete."

Ruby's feet were in the air when he turned around and the blacksmith set down a sheath for a sword onto the countertop with his sword resting in it. "Made all the modifications you asked for," The blacksmith said as he expanded the blade into a shield. "There were some pretty advanced modifications for Dust application already that I kept for you. Who did them, if you don't mind me asking?"

Jaune sighed. "Designed by a high schooler in Atlas and implemented by his huntress older sister.

The blacksmith following behind, Jaune met Ren, Nora, and Ruby outside the shop as the two of them had dragged her out to stop her hysterics. His new armor on, Jaune pulled out his sword and expanded the shield while the blacksmith spoke. "He cleans up alright, don't you think?"

Ren nodded. "He certainly does."

"I still think a grenade launcher would've really brought the look together!" Nora said, jumping onto Ren's back while he let out a sudden scream of surprise. "But it'll do!"

Ruby giggled behind her hand. "That's right," She agreed. "We'll all do."

* * *

**_November 25th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:54 PM_**

Weiss' thoughts slowly shifted to her almost too familiar surroundings that were almost exclusively blue, white, and grey. Some of the walls had columns with black sconces and candles that were lit and she couldn't remember a time when they weren't. There were some paintings of nature alternatively between some of the columns and every so often a cushioned chair and a round coffee table appeared against the walls. From the balcony above the dining hall, Weiss felt a sickening feeling rise inside her in response to recollection of some of the incidents that had happened during dinner involving her parents having a row and one or both of them storming out. That was fairly standard for her childhood but she tried to not dwell on that as she walked down the stairway through the maze of her house and it occurred to her that she was doing the same thing that Emmett did every time he was here - taking the longest way possible to deal with her father though he did it to calm himself so he wouldn't lash out and she was doing so out of fear. For most of the rooms she passed by or through, Weiss felt nothing but her numbness but seeing even the faintest glimpse of Whitley in the music room with his sheet music on the piano made her heart drop as it forced her to remember that, while she was the heiress, she was not particularly special to the parent whose approval she had always sought.

"Good afternoon, sister," The fourteen year old Schnee said, coming out of the room while his sister looked up at him, startled by his voice. "A pleasure to see you out of your room for a change."

The two of them briefly circled each other while she placed a hand on her hip. "Hello, Whitley. You're in a cheery mood today."

Whitley smiled, clasping his hands behind his back. "Klein made crepes for breakfast."

Weiss eyed him suspiciously before sighing. "What do you want?"

"I heard father shouting with someone in his study earlier," Whitley said, looking rather nervous, and Weiss worriedly raised an eyebrow.

"Mother?"

"No, she's already drinking in the garden," Whitley said, biting his lip and wishing there were more he could do. "I think it was a man." Weiss looked up at him while he gave her a concerned look. "I just wanted to warn you. I heard he had asked to speak with you."

"I'll be fine," Weiss told him, though she wasn't quite sure.

"I know you will," Whitley said and she narrowed her gaze further. "You are strong, like Winter."

Weiss glared in suspicion. "You never liked Winter."

"True," Whitley conceded, jealous of how far both of his sisters had gone though especially of Winter. "But you can't deny her resolve."

"You…" Weiss began, voicing her suspicions. "Seem different."

"And you've been gone," Whitley reminded her, slowly walking away. "I'll have you know I didn't stop growing while you were away at Beacon. Anyway, good luck with father!"

It wasn't until after he was gone that she responded. "Thank you."

Leaning against the door to the study, Weiss was about to open it but stopped short when she heard her father snapping.

"I'm not talking about the good of my company! I'm talking about the good of Atlas - our entire kingdom!"

James sighed. "That is a load of garbage, and you know it."

"I beg your pardon?" Jacques replied irritably as he set his glass down on the table roughly.

"Jacques, will you please, just hear me out?" James said though he knew that it was likely no use.

Jacques replied smoothly. "You are a trusted friend and ally to this family, James, but what you're suggesting is absurd!"

James didn't bother to correct him by stating that specifically referred to and applied only to Emmett, Cristal, and Willow, not him.

"You are blowing it out of proportion," He told him.

"The council will never agree to it!" Jacques snapped, more irritated than before.

"You forget," James said calmly. "I hold two seats on the council."

"Your Dust embargo has already cost me millions!" Jacques angrily informed him, giving away his front. "I can promise you I have not forgotten."

"So, this is about you," James said though he knew he didn't need to as both he and Jacques turned upon seeing Weiss enter the room. "Miss Schnee, my apologies, I should have been gone by now."

Weiss stammered. "It...it's okay."

James narrowed his eyes at the older man. "We'll continue this at another time."

"Indeed," Jacques assured him irritably. "Klein can show you out."

"Don't worry, I know the way. Until next time, Jacques," James said, turning to Weiss before he left and sighing. "Please know, you'll always have a home at Atlas Academy, Miss Schnee. We'll be back in session before you know it."

Once the General was gone, Jacques glared at his daughter as he turned and walked up to his desk. "Did you forget your manners while you were away?"

Annoyed, Weiss forced herself to be calm with a heavy sigh. "No, father, I'm sorry."

Jacques sat down and went on from the comment. "Can you believe there are still people in the world that blame Atlas for what happened to Beacon? To Vale?"

"Well, they weren't there," Weiss said as she began to walk across the room.

"It's a wonder Ironwood wasn't stripped of his rank," Jacques commented with his back to Weiss. "I could say the same thing about your aunt. Escaping…less than honorable in my opinion but I suppose the council trusts them, for better or worse."

"I trust them," Weiss admitted though she froze when he turned to face her.

"Thanks to them, Atlas is forbidden from exporting Dust to other kingdoms," Jacques lamented, more concerned about the money than anything else. "'A precautionary measure,' as James puts it, 'until we're certain no one is going to declare war.' How anyone could possibly find that to be sound logic is beyond me although I imagine he and Emmeline were very much aligned on the matter."

Uncomfortable, Weiss blinked at him before hesitantly speaking. "President Ciel was actually the one to suggest the move to the council in the first place when Vale's Director of Homeland Security began to threaten war on Vacuo for their suspected involvement. He reminded Vale's DHS director that we all have to be cautious and that starting another war won't help any of us long term -"

"Regardless, all of this is why the Schnee Dust Company will be holding a charity concert in the coming weeks," He brushed off her words, continuing his initial thought. "We need to show the people of Remnant that we are on their side. That we are all victims of the fall of Beacon."

Weiss looked up in surprise. "That's...wonderful news."

"I know," Jacques said, feeling rather self satisfied. "And I think it would make a lot of people happy if you performed at the event."

Weiss stared. "Excuse me?"

"Many people forget that you were there," Jacques said, acting as if Sam, Lysithea, Annetta, and Emmett didn't exist. "My own daughter, a Schnee, on the grounds, defending another kingdom! We need to remind them and we need to show them that the Schnee family is just as strong as ever!"

Though it upset her that he didn't acknowledge her cousins or aunt and uncle, Weiss sighed. "Are you asking me if I'd like to sing or telling me?"

Leaning forward, Jacques gazed at her with the implication of consequence. "I think it would make a lot of people happy."

She sighed again. "I'll start practicing."

Beginning to leave, Jacques spoke up again. "And Weiss...I would prefer it if you didn't waste any more time around your uncle. He's -"

Weiss turned back in shock. "Why? That's -"

Jacques irritably cut her off, bothered by her interrupting him. "Emmett has been more than unstable his entire life, corrupting your sister and convincing her to join the military being the least of them. Just...stay away from him. He doesn't know what he's doing and never has although what would you expect from him after all this time?"

Quietly, Weiss spoke as she remembered seeing her 'aunt' during the fall. "I'm more concerned about Ashlynn, to be honest."

Jacques was stunned but quickly regained his composure, speaking sharply. "Well, if you're so concerned, then press the subject with your mother. I never liked Ashlynn to begin with and if she had just listened to her mother, Victoria, in the first place then she wouldn't have been so disturbed. But, apparently, she couldn't remove the evil from her…to no surprise. Victoria was a dangerous woman, and Nicholas was only a little better and, as it happened, caused trauma, so far as I'm aware, to your mother, aunt, and uncle and you, Weiss, as are your brother and sister, are lucky to never have met her or your grandfather."


	57. Fraying Seams

**December 1st**

**City of Atlas**

**Atlas**

**Downtown**

**9:37 PM**

"And, and, and then, in comes Qrow, wearing a skirt!" Port exclaimed. "I was just a TA...I...I didn't know what to do, so I just...I just left the room to laugh!"

"We told him it was a kilt!" Tai told everyone and Elizabeth stared at him in shock. "He'd never worn a uniform before, so he didn't know!"

"That is terrible!" Oobleck said despite his own laughter. "What is wrong with you?"

"Hey!" Tai said, pretending to be affronted. "The girls all said he had nice legs!"

"Wrong," Glynda reminded him. "I told him that I was not at all interested in seeing his legs, or frankly any part of him, when he got in my face and began to flirt with me."

"Okay, so you were the only one," Tai rolled his eyes though Emmett began to laugh. "What?"

Emmett smirked. "If I recall correctly, Raven dragged him off saying things like 'Qrow, stay the hell away from the Atlesians as if being from Atlas is some sort of crime. Not to mention that she also refused to acknowledge that -"

"I'm from Vale," Glynda finished for him while James smiled and kissed her forehead. "And then she thought that it would be amusing to attempt to pick a fight with us -"

"And Qrow was like, 'I have a feeling I'll have to deal with them again later'," Emmett chuckled, squeezing Emmeline's hand when she rolled her eyes. "We were all different then."

"It was over twenty years ago, of course we were," James said, trying not to think about what had become of their team. "But I don't think any of us are ever going to be able to forget how ridiculous Qrow was...or maybe how ridiculous he always has been is more accurate."

"No kidding," Tai responded a laugh. "But hey, I did that jerk a favour! Besides, him just wearing the skirt isn't even the best part! See, then we -"

Port put his leg up on the table and cut off Tai while the others laughed and he began to lose his balance. "'Like what you see?'"

Sam, Lysithea, and Yang climbed had up onto the low wall that separated the living room from the kitchen, laughing, while the blonde huntress giggled, covering her mouth in an attempt to not be noticed that failed. Noticing them, however, everyone turned to look at them while Oobleck stood up before reaching down to help his husband off of the floor, who was still laughing before looking at them in slight embarrassment. Emmett shared a look with his daughters before tapping his wife's shoulder, pointing briefly at Sam and a picture of the eldest Ironwood-Goodwitch from her senior year of high school that was hanging in the kitchen with the rest of the family photographs. Emmeline raised an eyebrow and then had to stop herself from laughing when he mimed putting another ring on, catching on to what he was implying. As it happened, she was relieved that Sam hadn't noticed.

"Oh, uh, Miss Xiao Long!" Port said as he tried to regain himself. "Uh, please, join us."

"Oh, yes, yes, pull up a chair!" Oobleck said nervously, glancing at the others. "Please, pull up a chair."

Yang shook her head as she shifted over towards where Tai and Elizabeth were. "I'm good," She said awkwardly. "So, what are you doing here?"

Oobleck laughed. "Despite popular belief, teachers do have a life outside the classroom."

"Glynda's been working around the clock to restore Beacon to its former glory!" Port said, glancing to the woman who sighed and leaned into James more heavily while he rubbed her back. "Glynda, you have people dealing with the damage since you're not there yourself and there's nothing wrong with having come back to Atlas, you can't spend all of your time trying to fix everything. After all, Mistral wasn't built in a day and we all need rest from time to time."

"I know," Glynda said quietly, tears forming in her eyes. "But I...I...I don't know. I just…"

"Glyns," James said, kissing her softly. "It's okay. I know this is difficult for you, but...Glyns, I'm sorry, it's all my fault -"

"No, it's not!" Glynda snapped while he brushed her tears away. "Quit blaming yourself, because you didn't cause this!"

"Now look," Tai said, looking at all of them before sighing. "Let's not worry about that right now. So, there we were, standing in the auditorium, looking at Qrow, wearing a skirt. Then Oz tells everyone, 'It's time to work on our landing strategy!'"

Ozpin scowled. "That had been more than legitimate."

"Well…" Oobleck shrugged and Emmett burst out in laughter while the green haired doctor spoke. "The Branwen twins have always been...interesting, to say the least."

Port rolled his eyes and laughed with Emmett. "That sure didn't seem to stop young Tai."

Elizabeth tensed and he rubbed her arm while looking at his daughter in embarrassment. "Hey, come on! She's right here!"

"Oh, please!" Port said with a smile. "She's a mature young woman! If she can handle combat, she can handle a few jabs at her old man!"

Tai shook his head. "That's not the issue, Pete! And besides, she's still a teenager!"

"'She' is also in the room, and can be directly spoken to," Yang said irritably, scowling at Tai. "And I think that I've been through enough to be considered an adult at this point."

Tai sighed. "Adult or not, you've still got a long way to go before you're ready for the real world."

"Oh my gosh!" Yang exclaimed in complete exasperation. "Does every father figure have the same three condescending phrases?"

"Yeah!" Tai fired back though James, Glynda, Emmeline, Emmett, Cristal, and Ozpin were glaring at him. "But we only use them when we mean it!"

"Is that so?" Yang demanded while Oobleck took a sip from his mug and Port pulled at his collar.

"As a matter of fact, it is so!" Tai responded. "If you honestly think that you're ready to go out there on your own, ha, well I guess you lost some brain cells along with that arm."

"Tai!" Elizabeth snapped in Yang's defense. "What the fuck is wrong with you? I can't...I doubt anyone can believe that you said that! That's not -"

Tai sighed heavily before meeting her gaze. "Eliza -"

Not thinking, Elizabeth slapped him but took in a sharp breath when she realized how hurt he looked when she was staring at him.

"Tai..." She breathed, horrified with herself. "I...I'm sorry -"

"Eliza," Tai began, bringing her into him tightly. "I -"

"No, don't say it," Elizabeth told him, her voice weak. "I shouldn't take my stress out on you no matter what you say."

Yang smirked, playfully punching Tai before they laughed together and Elizabeth clutched his arm tightly.

"You...jerk!" She teased.

Oobleck leaned towards Port and whispered. "Are we finally talking about the goliath in the room?"

Tai and Yang looked at each other before laughing again, something that Port and Oobleck joined in on out of relief though Port looked at her curiously. "Oh, Miss Xiao Long...Yang, if you don't mind me asking, why haven't you tried on the arm yet?"

"Oh, yes, yes!" Oobleck added. "A piece of Atlas Technology given out like that is rare indeed!"

"He's not wrong," Cristal put in, and Yang glanced to her in surprise. "Even if your step-mother is the chair of the security council."

Oobleck nodded, glancing towards Emmeline and James. "It seems a great many people want to see you returned to normal."

"I'm...scared," Yang said quietly while everyone looked at her. "Everyone keeps talking about me getting back to normal...and I appreciate it, but...this," Yang said, glancing sadly to her missing arm. "Is normal now. It's just...taking me awhile to get used to it."

"I understand," James told her and she looked at him surprise. "I lost my right arm and leg twenty-two years ago in a grimm attack on the outskirts of the city. I was honestly afraid of hurting my wife, and…" Sighing, James glanced to one of the childhood photographs of Cate, Ivy, and Jake before looking back to Glynda. "And I was also afraid of hurting my kids. To be honest, it still haunts me and I can imagine that you have the same fight. The important thing is that you're still living, which you are."

"This is all my fault…" Caitlin said, having reappeared in the corner of the room a few minutes before. Everyone looked at her in shock. "If I hadn't been reckless…maybe I wouldn't have been threatened, or, if I hadn't gotten in the way then Emmett could have killed him and -"

"No, it's not your fault," Glynda said, looking at her sharply before her expression softened. "Caity, it's Cinder's fault, and it's Adam Taurus'. You're not to blame and you never were."

"Normal is what you make of it," Tai added as he looked to his daughter who had tears in her eyes before she responded.

"What is that supposed to mean?" Yang demanded, the tears stinging. "Do you want me to just pretend like nothing happened? I lost a part of me. A piece of me is gone, and it's never coming back."

"You're right," Tai agreed, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's not coming back, but that doesn't have to stop you from becoming who you want to be. You're Yang Xiao Long, my sunny little dragon. You can do whatever you put your mind to. So, whenever you're ready to stop moping and get back out there, I'll be there for you."

Yang stared at him. "I...I…"

"Fear is like any other emotion," Port said, nodding to Tai. "It comes and goes. It's all in how you handle it. Why, even I find myself wrestling with that emotion from time to time."

Yang looked at him in surprise. "Really? You?"

Oobleck nodded, whispering. "He's afraid of mice."

Pounding the table, Port replied while everyone began to laugh. "They only bring disease and famine! And don't even get me started on their tails! So hairless, and simply unnatural!"

"You're in good company on that," Emmett assured him with a smirk. "When Sam was seven and Lily was six –"

"Oh, yeah!" Sam put in, bouncing excitedly and startling Cate, who she had wrapped an arm around. "You just about lost your mind!"

"Daddy always just about loses his mind," Lysithea rolled her eyes. "Although, I have to say, that story is always funny."

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "That was the first time I had ever seen a mouse!"

"And you still shrieked and jumped onto the couch with your sword," Emmeline shook her head with an amused smile. "I thought something horrible had happened, not that you had seen a mouse."

"Port, I assure you," Oobleck told his husband, patting his shoulder. "You are safe. There's no mice here right now."

"There won't be," Caitlin told him, picking up her purring cat. "My cat would eat them."

The cat meowed, almost as if it understood what they were saying.

"That sounds about right," Lysithea said with a grin. "Now…let's find something for your cat to eat and my dad to be terrified of."

* * *

**_December 9th_**

**_Anima_**

**_7:13 PM_**

"Ruby!" Nora screamed, jumping onto her back while she let out a yelp of surprise. "Are we almost there?"

Ren started laughing as Ruby pulled Nora off of her. "Nora, you've been asking her that for hours."

"Actually, I think it's been every time she hasn't been drinking coffee, coffee that she stole," Jaune remarked. "Which we should have taken away a long time ago."

"Come on guys!" Ruby told them. "If we pick up the pace, we can hit the next town before sunset!"

"Assuming it's still there," Jaune muttered darkly.

"Of course it'll be there!" Ruby protested. "This one's supposed to be pretty big! Hee...gan...bayn..a?"

"Higanbana," Ren corrected. "It's a well-protected village with a popular inn."

"Which means no camping in the rain!" Nora shouted happily.

Ruby nodded. "See? Everything's going to be fine!"

Jaune agreed as the village started to come into view. "You know, we've had a lot of ups and downs, but things could be worse. I really thought we'd see more grimm."

Ren sighed. "As did I."

Nora smiled and jumped onto Ren as her secondary target. "I guess our luck is finally turning around!"

"I would agree with that," He said, pushing her off of him indulgently. "So let's keep moving, I can see it ahead."

Jaune and Ren shared a look before announcing their destination in chorus. "To Higanbana!"

"To…" Ruby started, still struggling with the name. "Higanban...bana!"

A steady rain began to fall upon the village as the sun continued to steadily set. As soon as they got within the village of Higanbana itself, they quietly found the proprietor of the inn before they began to discuss living quarters for the next few days while they gathered supplies and freshened up. What they didn't know, from the other side of the street, was that through a window within the town's meager tavern, Qrow Branwen was watching them. Though he had been nervous about his daughter's well-being enough to have followed her and her friends through their journey so far to Mistral and was ready to continue defending them, he was not particularly sure that if he had gone with them directly that they would have been fine before a waitress set a glass of hard liquor and ice in front of him.

Qrow looked at her in surprise. "Oh, I didn't order -"

"From the woman upstairs," She told him with a wink. "Red eyes. Said you wouldn't mind bottom shelf. But I went ahead and gave you the top. Lucky you."

As soon as she was gone, Qrow turned and looked upwards where he knew his sister was waiting. An attempt to quote un-quote catch up, he assumed. Turning back to his drink, Qrow smirked and glanced through the windows of the inn's lobby before taking his glass in hand and heading up stairs. Towards the back, sure enough, Raven was waiting for him at one of the tables with her grimm mask sitting on top of it. Staring at each other for several moments, she smiled at him lightly before she motioned him towards him, speaking quietly while he waited for a moment before moving towards her from his location at the top of the stairs. Pulling up the chair that was beside her, he dragged himself so that he was positioned across from her. A hand on the back of the chair, he looked at her, waiting for her to speak while she rolled her eyes and shifted her mask to the side as he sat down.

"So," Qrow began, taking a sip of his drink. "What do you want?"

Raven glared. "A girl can't just catch up with her family?"

Qrow sighed setting his glass down. "She can, but you're not. Now how about we get on with it? Unless you plan on keeping these coming."

"Does she have it?" Raven asked him, expecting an answer immediately.

Choosing to not answer right away, Qrow ran his fingertip along the edge of his glass. "Did you know Yang lost her arm?"

Raven stared at him in shock. "That's not -"

"Rhetorical question," Qrow told her in irritation. "I know you know. It's just obnoxious that you'd bring up family and then carry on like your own daughter doesn't exist."

"I saved her -" Raven protested though Qrow cut her off.

"Once," He said disdainfully. "Because that was your rule, right? Real mom of the year material, sis."

Leaning forward and grabbing Qrow's forearm, Raven forced him to stop his sarcastic, nonchalant motions. Her twin had always chewed on her nerves, but he was doing a damn good job at the emotion.

"I told Yang the exact same thing you did," She hissed. "I told you Beacon would fall, and it did. I told you Ozpin would fail, and he has. Now you tell me. Does Salem have it?"

"And That's So Raven for tonight," Qrow rolled his eyes. "I thought you weren't interested in all of that."

"I just want to know what we are up against," Raven said though Qrow shook his head.

"And which 'we' are you referring to?" Qrow asked while she finally let go of his arm with a slight noise of disgust. "You should come back, Raven. The only way we'd beat her is by working together. All of us, and, yes, that includes the Schnees."

"You're the one who left," Raven told him bitterly. "The tribe raised us, and you turned your back on them like you have everyone else in your life."

"They were killers and thieves," Qrow replied simply.

"They were your family," Raven informed him, growing tenser with each word.

Qrow watched her while she stood up in upset. "You have a very skewed perception of that word."

"I lead our people now," Raven told him, her voice shaking. "And as leader, I will do everything in my power to ensure our survival."

"I saw," Qrow said and she stared at him in surprise. "The people of Shion saw too."

"The weak die, the strong live," Raven countered, crossing her arms. "Those are the rules."

"Well you've certainly got someone strong on your side," Qrow commented, eluding to what he thought she might know. "I've seen the damage."

Raven turned away. "We couldn't have known the grimm would set in as quickly as they did."

"I'm not talking about the grimm," Qrow said, and she looked up, her eyes widening, though she didn't turn around. "And I'm not talking about you, either."

"If you don't know where the Relic is," Raven replied, forcing her voice to be steady as she reached for her mask though he grabbed onto the top of it.

Qrow scowled. "I don't know where the Spring Maiden is either, but if you do, I need you tell me."

"And why would I do that?" Raven demanded as she pulled the mask out of his grasp.

"Because," Qrow told her, his voice dead serious. "Without her, we're all going to die."

A tense silence passed before she scoffed. "And which 'we' are you referring to?"

"That depends on your point of view," Qrow tersely informed her.

Raven glared. "It seems like someone has spent a lot of time in Atlas."

"Nah," Qrow said, crossing his arms. "If that were the case, I'd have delusions of grandeur to match that of an Atlesian politician…for the record, they don't need to inflate their egos because whatever hormone causes that delusion is atmospherically abundant in their capital."

Raven rolled her eyes. "You think you're clever, don't you?"

"I think I tend to be right," He darkly replied. "When it comes to family, anyway."

"Family…" Raven shook her head and slashed open a portal. "How is it you can talk about family when you only come around when you need something?"

With not another word spoken, she vanished well before he could formulate a response.


	58. These Conditions Only Cure Before A War

**_December 17th_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council_**

**_Department Of Foreign Affairs And Military Action_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Security Level: High_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Maximum_**

**_5:34 PM_**

"So," Elizabeth Morell said, pacing across the room while the rest of the security council watched her. "We, the DLNLE and the DFAMA, have a choice to make. Frankly, I agree with the notion of closing our borders for the sake of security. So, are we going to close the United Kingdom of Atlas' borders, or are we not?"

A tense silence hung over the room for what felt to be the longest time.

"Define closing the borders, Madame Morell," Kiara Davis said calmly, her hands folded primly in front of her. "Would we be shutting out the entire rest of the world – cutting out trade and diplomacy – or would we be increasing our restrictions?"

"That's an excellent point," Tara Sparks, the head of the Department of Local and National Law Enforcement put in. "Some of the poorer cities to the middle-western part of the kingdom – which is a good part of the kingdom once you reach Mantle – would completely crumble without imports. The cities on routes seventy and forty, for instance, would fall apart and they are already poorer than the rest of the kingdom."

"Not to mention the fact that the senators from those regions would be in an uproar if we pass something to that extreme," Blake Adel, the head of the Department of Justice, remarked. "Their constituents already lack faith in the Council and think that we, here in the middle of the eastern seaboard, have long since forgotten about them."

Elizabeth sighed. "I am not proposing that we close out entirely, nor am I suggesting we raise taxes and/or tariffs. What I am suggesting is that we raise security to better control who comes in and who comes out of Atlas. We are not closing international travel; we are simply being precautious. The State Department has already put out a travel advisory against most of Vacuo because of the hostility that has been expressed towards us since the Fall. They have also, as you all should well know, suggested that travel into the kingdom of Vale avoid the capital city, considering that it is still recovering. Menagerie has been marked as the highest risk for travel, as well as the south sea between Menagerie and Mistral. Other than that, we are not closing entirely at this time."

"This is still going to be wildly unpopular outside of the eastern and western seaboards," Tara Sparks countered, echoing Adel. "I understand the concern, but we cannot act in paranoia."

"It is not an act of paranoia," General Ciel informed her. "We have enough internal problems to handle and we should know exactly who's coming in and out of the kingdom. I also feel the need to point out that we aren't talking about a president declaring martial law, even though he could under the National Defense Authorization act of 2007. This isn't much more than what we undertook at the end of 2001."

Sparks shook her head. "And, with all due respect to the people involved, that was a mistake."

"Precedence aside," Elizabeth said shortly. "General Ciel makes a fair point."

"I can't deny that," Blake Adel agreed. "But if we're going to bring up the slim possibility of martial law, the state governors would be in an uproar because of the control it would give President Ciel over the National Guard. That aside, I still, however, am unsure of whether or not restricting our borders is the best choice from a foreign relations standpoint. Our allies –"

"The kingdom of Atlas does not and never has had allies," Karissa Mar, the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action sharply told him. "We have interests, not allies, and I think we can all agree that it is in our best interests to proceed with caution."

"She's right," General James Ironwood put in. "We can't take risks right now."

The rest of the room slowly murmured in assent and Elizabeth sighed heavily before nodding. "Then I believe we have our answer. The kingdom of Atlas will restrict its borders beginning on the first of January 2022."

The silence that followed did not bode well for the future in their hands.

* * *

**_December 25th_**

**_Anima_**

**_9:37 AM_**

"Vernal, I really don't even know how to thank you for putting up with me for so long," Raven told the young woman who was smiling faintly. "Really, not even my own family will do so. Apart from the tribe, I mean."

"I take it, then, your meeting with your brother went poorly?" Vernal said and the look Raven gave her was more than enough confirmation. "That's a shame. It would really help all of us if he just came back to the tribe."

"His faith in Ozpin is what gets him," Raven commented bitterly, deciding to use her power as the Spring Maiden to light one of the candles in her tent despite not needing to use them to do so. "I just wish he'd understand that. Ozpin was going to fail because he's arrogant and that same arrogance is why Beacon fell. Your precognition or not, that was something any of us could have surmised, although you seeing it certainly helped."

"I'm always glad to help you," Vernal said, sitting down next to Raven who was looking wistfully at a photograph of Tai on her scroll. "If you don't mind me asking, are you still in love with him?"

Raven sighed, turning away as she set her scroll aside. "If he wants to be with that Elizabeth Morell then let him. It's not my problem who we fucks with...but yes, perhaps I am still in love with him. I only left him and our daughter because I needed to lead my people."

"Which is admirable," Vernal told her though Raven didn't respond. "It's admirable that you cared enough about your tribe to lead them even when it came at a serious personal cost."

"Whether it was or wasn't admirable isn't a concern," Raven said, refusing to turn around as tears formed in her eyes. "Because what's said and done is said and done. Things don't change. They don't usually get worse, and they almost never get better."

"Are you worried about what she's going to do to us?" Vernal asked and Raven sighed again, wiping her rogue tears from the corners of her eyes. "Salem, I mean. Do you think that, now that we've expanded our territory to practically the entire northern continent of Anima that she'll leave us alone, recognizing our power?"

Raven laughed dryly before shaking her head. "As much as I wish I could say that our power makes us no longer a target of hers, it doesn't. In some ways, it makes us targets even more so."

"Does that have to do with your powers as the Spring Maiden?" Vernal asked hesitantly and Raven, to her surprise nodded. "Oh."

"Did you really think that I took that girl's powers to enhance myself, to make our position stronger?" Raven questioned and Vernal didn't respond. "No. I knew full well when I took the powers that they would only put a target on my back. She will not rest. Not until the world burns."

"It was still a good thing you became the Spring Maiden," Vernal said and Raven shook her head. "It was. She would never have been able to handle the powers -"

"And yet I still killed her," Raven countered. "I don't have a problem with killing people if it's for the good of the tribe, but that doesn't mean that I think it's good. There's a serious difference between 'good' and 'necessary evil' and the majority of what I do, or have us do, falls under necessary evil."

"I would disagree with that," Vernal said, running her fingers over Raven's grimm mask. "If only because you told all of us that -"

"I know what I've said," Raven snapped, shaking her head again. "I know: 'the weak die, the strong live, those are the rules.' But I also know that we've all got choices to make and, whether or not we make the right ones, that, for the good of the tribe, has to apply. It keeps us alive, that and shifting around our territory constantly so that Salem can't find us."

Vernal nodded though she wanted to protest. "Did you hear about the split between the powers of the Fall Maiden?"

"Yes," Raven said, glancing at her scroll. "Cinder Fall, whose surname is so appropriate, I might add, she must have chosen it herself, has part of it while Glynda Goodwitch has the other."

"Do you think Cinder is going to gain the rest of the power?" Vernal stood up and set Raven's mask aside. "Or do you think that Glynda will?"

Raven started laughing as she turned around and leaned against her desk. "Oh, that's easy. There will be some form of an altercation, but we all know that Glynda will come out on top. I know her well enough to know that she'd kill Cinder in a fight with maiden powers or not."

Vernal hesitated before asking her next question. "Hasn't Cinder been directly trained under Salem?"

Raven rolled her eyes. "There might not be any chance or hope of beating Salem, but that doesn't make her...apprentice, I suppose, competent. Certainly not against us and, presumably, not against Glynda Goodwitch. She leadership of the kingdom of Atlas behind her, too. I would be shocked if she doesn't win."

"That's a fair assessment," Vernal said, knowing what Raven wanted to hear though the leader of the Branwen Tribe only glared at her. "Raven, I -"

"Vernal, for the love of god, don't be a sycophant," Raven told her with finality. "We have enough of those around here and, frankly, you're the single member of this tribe I care about the most and trust the most. So, please, don't start acting like the others and start kissing my feet."

"Well then what would you like me to do," Vernal crossed her arms and shifted her weight as she waited for a response. "Well? Other than being your decoy, I mean?"

Raven turned back away from her and gripped the edge of her desk tightly. "I want you to be someone that I can talk to that won't tell me just what I want to hear. I want to be able to speak with you about something and know that I'm not being given what everyone knows I want to hear. I want to know that I can trust you to tell me the truth even if it's the last thing I want to hear. Can you do that for me?"

Vernal nodded before placing a hand on Raven's shoulder. "Of course I can do that. After all, I only want what's best for our people. It's not easy living in Anima, and especially not in this part of it."

"Especially not with a perpetual target on our backs," Raven stated though she smiled slightly in spite of the seriousness of the situation. Still, we're managing."

"Well you can't just kill the Branwen Tribe," Vernal reminded her. "After all, we always survive. That's, without question, what we do."

* * *

**_January 6th_**

**_Atlas Academy_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:38 PM_**

Ivory Ironwood-Goodwitch was alone in the lecture hall, her huntress license still loaded on her scroll. She had set it down on the desk, and she was alone. Classes still hadn't gone back into session, but she had gotten in with the clearance she had gained from receiving her license. Having it made her feel like a fraud. Elizabeth had gone behind everyone's backs to license her team early (including Devin Katt), something that had raised more than a few eyebrows. Elizabeth had done the same for Team SAML, too, but that had been without protest. Ivy knew her parents had been against her recieving her license, reminding her that she was barely twenty, but Elizabeth had refused to back down. In the end, it was approved a few weeks before which, as it happened, had been around the same time the DOJ had cleared her name and dropped the part of the investigation into the Fall that pertained to her. It had never been real; she knew better than anyone that it had been a front, if only because how secret it had been.

And now she was a licensed huntress and would be a mother in May.

The lights to the room turned on suddenly, and Ivy whipped around suddenly in fear, almost falling into the desk behind her. She immediately felt silly when she saw who was in the doorway, however, considering that it was only Spencer. He eyed her curiously for a moment and then shook his head and closed the door behind him. She sat down in one of the many seats in the front row while he paced around the room and looked through a few books and files. It was not nearly as long as she swore it felt, but it was enough to make her feel worse than ever. She began to look through the files on her scroll, and doing so only reminded her of what she had planned. Overnight, everything had changed and, now, she believed it was irreversible.

"I have to ask," Spencer eventually said, pushing up his glasses and running a hand through his shaggy dark hair. "What are you doing here?"

Ivy sighed. "Couldn't I ask you the same thing?"

"You could," Spencer agreed. "But I think that's pretty obvious. I'm a professor, we go back into session a few weeks, and I'm trying to be responsible because Emmett never has been."

Ivy managed a small laugh. "Sorry…I was just…reminiscing."

"At an Academy you never attended?" Spencer asked.

"Yes," Ivy said, staring at her hands.

"In the middle of a cold afternoon in the dead of winter?" He pressed.

"Yes," Ivy said again.

"Sounds about right," Spencer conceded. "How are you doing?"

Ivy looked up at him in surprise. "What?"

"How are you doing?" He patiently repeated.

Ivy bit her lip. "Why do you care?"

Spencer stared at her in surprise. "Well," He started. "I am your godfather and I care about you."

Ivy swallowed hard and didn't say anything for a long time.

"I'm unemployed and going to have a baby in May," She finally said. "I have absolutely no idea what I'm going to do; it's not as if I can just take missions as a huntress when I'll have a kid I need to care for."

Spencer eyed her for a moment, his hands jammed in his pockets.

"I'll tell you what," He said, surprising himself. "I need a TA and, since you're a huntress, I think I can take you on. I'll have to check, but I'm pretty sure the pay for TAs is about fifty-three thousand a year before taxes. I know it's not as much as your sister will make when she graduates law school, but…"

"You can really do that?" Ivy asked, stunned.

"You have a clean record and there is no cogent argument against me hiring you," Spencer replied. "We can get the paperwork started today, if you're interested."

Ivy smiled weakly. "I am."

"Great," Spencer said with a grin that could rival Emmett's. "Now," He said, walking through the halls with her. "Let's get started in pissing off Emmett's self-righteous world view…"

In spite of everything, hearing Spencer's jibe made Ivy laugh more than she had in a long time.

* * *

**_January 15th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_9:15 AM_**

"Another day, another adventure!" Ruby declared with a grin as Team RJNR continued their walk through the Republic Of Mistral. "What do you say, Nora?"

Nora perked up considerably with an almost maddening grin. "I would say that this day might be the slightest bit improved by a few grimm wandering in our path! We could then take them out and move along our way!"

"How about no!" Ren dryly replied, taking her hand in his. "Excitement is not really what any of us want."

"So!" Ruby exclaimed, looking at the map that Jaune was pulling out once again. "What's on the agenda today?"

"Walking!" Jaune informed her while Ren peered at the map over his shoulder.

Nora rolled her eyes. "With a side of…"

"Walking," Ren told her and Ruby sighed.

"Haven is a lot farther away than I thought," She muttered.

"Ruby," Ren began seriously, almost amused by her. "How long did you think this journey was going to take?"

"I don't know!" The girl said, pulling her cape closer around her. "I grew up in a small area! I've never been this far away from home!"

"Ruby…" Jaune started, laughing a little. "Be serious."

"It's true!" She told them. "I haven't ever been this far away from home before!"

"Right, but...how long?" Jaune pressed her and she groaned.

"Maybe like...uh..." Ruby suddenly looked rather awkward and widened her eyes precociously. "Two weeks?"

Looking up from the map, Jaune glared at her in shock. "What?"

"Okay, fine! Three or something!" Refusing to make eye contact, she muttered. "Look, whatever."

"Come on," Ren said fairly, looking at Ruby in slight amusement. "Let's give her a break."

"Hey…" Ruby began, noticing something in the distance. "What's that?"

Nora jumped onto one of the fallen fence posts while Jaune checked his map. "That's…strange. I didn't think we'd be hitting another village for a few days."

"Are those buildings…" Nora gasped and her eyes widened as she took in the sight. "Damaged?"

"We should search for survivors!" Jaune told them, dropping his map, and they all began to run towards the village though they found the town to be desolate.

Lifting a plank of wood, Ruby sighed when she found plant growth beneath it. "Anything?"

Nora shook her head as she jumped down from one of the rooftops. "Nothing over here!"

"No one over here, either!" Jaune said and Ren felt his stomach constrict when he and Nora saw some of the other buildings in the terrible state that they were.

"It…" Nora began, clutching her hammer tighter. "This feels wrong…"

Ren nodded. "It almost seems like...the town was abandoned."

Looking around still, Ruby grew increasingly uneasy as the wind blew, drawing her cape closer to her still until Nora shouted.

"Hey, I think I found something!"

Turning and rushing over to her, Ruby stared as Nora pushed the ivy away from the town's sign while Ren shook when he read the name.

"Oni….Oniyuri?" Ruby said softly. "Never heard of it."

Jaune nodded. "Me neither."

"I have," Ren admitted quietly as they all turned to look at him in surprise and he began to walk away from the sign. "You might think of it as Anima's Mountain Glenn, had it never been completed. Years ago, the richest members of Mistral were unhappy with how the kingdom was being run. Frustrated with the council, they pooled their resources to build their own city, with their own laws. They hoped that, one day, it could maybe even become its own kingdom. Many thought it would be the future...I know my parents did…"

"What happened?" Ruby asked gently as Ren brushed some of the dirt off of the lower wall that had claw marks in the stone.

"What always happens," He told them and Jaune stared in horror as he finished the statement.

"The grimm…" He breathed.

"Not just any. One," Ren said, tightening his hands into harsh fists while looking to Nora who stared back at him in concern though Ruby looked at her in confusion.

"One?" She asked though Ren didn't respond.

"Come on," Jaune said, looking to the others as several birds flew off of the trees nearby and over them. "Let's just get through here, this place gives me the creeps."

Quickly, Jaune turned to leave in quick pace. It wasn't long until Nora, after one last look to Ren of concern, followed him with equal drive though Ren let himself linger, lost in thought about his childhood and the particular grimm that had taken it from him. The grimm that had killed his parents and destroyed his village, the one that he used to justify his fight, the one that he and Nora both remembered destroying the village of Kuroyuri when he had been the boy of respected leaders and she an orphan. Forcing himself to follow, Ren tried to let go in the process though nothing came of it. Lastly, and looking over the terrifyingly empty village, Ruby left as the dead leaves blew and there was a sinister whistle to the otherwise normal wind.

"Guys," Ruby said, stopping them just before the exit to the village. "Am I the only one who thinks that there's something wrong with this place?"

"What?" Jaune asked harshly. "Like the fact that we're surrounded by the place where people died, helpless to a grimm? Because -"

"Jaune," Nora hissed. "It's okay. I agree with Ruby. It almost feels like there's an evil spirit here. A demon, for instance."

"Well," Ruby began, nervously looking around. "In that case, we could always exorcise it."

"No," Ren said. "I don't think that's what she meant."

Ruby nodded. "This whole place just feels...off…"


	59. Birdie, Fly Away

**_January 25th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:28 PM_**

"Unbelievable. Absolutely unbelievable." Jacques said as he paced in front of his daughter who hung her head in shame, her hands folded in her lap. "Apart from the fact that you clearly have learned the worst traits exhibited by Emmett, do you have any idea what your stunt cost us?"

Weiss looked up, irritated by his words. "I -"

"And don't think I'm just talking about lien here!" Jacques snapped, struggling to describe what he had decided to be her misstep. "Our reputation! Our...our…"

Hesitating, Weiss summoned as much courage as she could before speaking. "I want to leave."

"I beg your pardon?" Jacques demanded, glaring at her though she forced herself not to shrink back this time.

"I said I want to leave," Weiss told him, shaking somewhat as she spoke. "I don't want to stay here anymore! I don't want to stay in Atlas anymore!"

"Young lady, I don't give a damn about what you want!" Jacques told her, his anger destroying all of his attempts to be subtle. "This isn't about you! This is about the Schnee family name, and your apparent insistence on dragging it through the mud!"

Shaking still, Weiss suddenly stood up to her full height. "I have done nothing but uphold the honor of my family name!" She snapped, invoking her aunt Cristal's favorite defense against him. "A name that you married into."

His anger taking him over, Jacques slapped her hard across her left cheek before glaring at her while she gasped and stared at him almost incredulously, her hand on her cheek. Steadying himself, Jacques's voice was not only eerily calm, but also intimidating.

"This behavior of yours is incredibly disappointing. You couldn't possibly understand the lengths I've gone to in order to keep this family where it is," He said, scowling at her. "Acting like Emmett is bad enough in its own right, but do you honestly think that running off like your sister is going to make the Schnee name stronger? You're wrong. Siding with her and the rest of them only divides us."

"I'm not siding with anyone," Weiss told him as he rolled his eyes and began to walk away. "I'm doing what I feel is right and that does not include wasting my time up here with these clueless people in Atlas. The Schnee family legacy isn't yours to leave, it's mine, and I'll do it as a huntress."

Stopping and slowly turning to face her, Jacques moved to stand in front of her, glaring, as he spoke again. "No, you won't. You're not leaving Atlas. You're not to leave the manor grounds unless I specifically allow it. You are going to remain here, out of sight and out of trouble, until you and I come to an agreement on your future."

"What?" Weiss found herself at a loss for words, horrified by what he was saying.

"Your presupposition that you can simply have whatever it is you want is a clear sign of our failure as parents," Jacques said, already thinking of what he was going to say to his wife soon enough. "But from now on, I'll be giving you the full attention you require…starting by keeping you where I can see you."

"You can't just keep me from leaving!" Weiss protested.

He smirked. "I can, and the staff here will make sure of it."

"So now I'm just your prisoner?" Weiss asked in horror, knowing that meant Emmett and Emmeline would never be allowed near enough to her to be able to help her out.

"You are my daughter, you're a child," Jacques said as he walked away, continuing even while Weiss continued to protest and followed him angrily. "And children are grounded when they misbehave."

"This is only going to make things worse, father," Weiss told him as she straightened herself at her full height again although she was still considerably shorter than him either way. "People will ask questions, they'll want to know why the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company is suddenly nowhere to be found! And you know Emmett and Emmeline will ask questions and aunt Emmeline is the epitome of 'friends in high places'. If she makes one comment to Elizabeth, for example -"

"Elizabeth Morell is highly unstable, for one," Jacques replied, struggling once again to keep his tone even as he turned to face her. "As for Emmett and Emmeline, they won't be anywhere near you. I assure you of that. And, in regard to the public asking questions, well, that is why you are no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company."

Temporarily stunned, Weiss took a step back and stared at him, clenching her fists. "Excuse me?"

"Clearly," Jacques began as he narrowed his eyes. "The trauma you endured at the fall of Beacon was too much for you, which is why you have generously revoked your claim to the company and its earnings and passed it on to your brother, Whitley."

Shaking, and feeling sick as her fists only tightened, Weiss closed her eyes and took a deep breath as she unclenched them, finally opening them as she slapped him with equal strength as he had to her. "I don't care what you think!" She yelled. "I'm not your pawn!"

Jacques grabbed her wrist and began to shout as he pushed her to the ground. "You are more deranged than I thought, aren't you? You're just like her."

"Mother?" Weiss suggested angrily, pushing herself up the floor and her eyes flaring. "Because you're the one who ruined her life! I wish General Ironwood were my father, hell I wish Emmett and Emmeline were my parents -"

"This is more than enough proof of what I've thought since you ran off to Vale! " Jacques shouted at her. "Ashlynn! You are exactly like her when she was eighteen and look where she ended up!"

"I am not Cinder!" Weiss shouted back as he left the room. "I've never been anything like her and I never will be!"

Shaking his head as he walked out, Jacques half tore the door open as he stalked out. "It's time to wake up and face reality."

As soon as he was out the door, although he noticed Whitley had been obviously waiting and eavesdropping, he didn't acknowledge his son and rather made his way down to his and Willow's room to tell her what had happened and how their middle child was becoming nothing more or less than her twin sister. In the same span of several minutes, Weiss tried to accept and understand her emotions but she smiled a little to herself when she realized that she hadn't simply bent to his will this time. Walking out into the corridor, her fists clenched once again, Weiss glared at her brother who was moving down the long corridor in the opposite way than Jacques had.

"Whitley?" Weiss demanded, her suspicions rising again.

He turned around with a faint smile. "Yes, sister?"

"Did you know about this?" Weiss asked him, walking towards him and crossing her arms.

"About what?" He inquired as innocently as he could manage.

"You never liked Winter," Weiss reminded him once again. "You never liked me, but you've been nothing but supportive since the moment I came back."

Whitley sighed, not having wanted to have played his father's game but also not wanting to have unleashed his wrath in the way that his sisters had done so many times. "If being kind to my big sister is some sort of crime, then I suppose I'm guilty."

Weiss's eyes widened in both hurt and recognition. "You...wanted this to happen."

Leaning forward, his innocent smile fading, Whitley replied. "It's foolish not to do as father asks. You know that Weiss. I'm not brave like you and Winter are and I do what I have to do to avoid being slapped like the two of you have been so many times."

"I can't believe you…" Weiss said, her voice revealing her feelings of slight betrayal.

"Don't worry Weiss," Whitley said, noticing Jacques coming back his way. "The Schnee family name is in good hands."

A few moments passed in which she watched him as he walked away but she quickly ran into her room, slamming the door, and collapsing face down on her bed as she began to cry. She was bothered that she had been slapped, though that was something that always bothered her, but what upset her even more was that her father seemed to think she was anything like Cinder, the psychotic bitch who had done nothing but cause pain that reverberated through the whole family. Emmett and Emmeline had both almost died at her hands, Willow had been shattered by the revelations that happened just after her second child had been born, and Cristal and Ozpin had been scarcely heard from since the Fall. Lifting her head and tightening her fists, Weiss chose to let determination overtake her as she closed the curtains and shifted around the things in her room as much as possible before she opened her long, silver box that contained Myrtenaster and several vials of Dust. Posing with her blade once, Weiss smiled weakly to herself before setting it down and picking up her scroll to call Emmett, hoping that he would be able to do something.

"Weiss?" Emmett said with a yawn as he picked up almost immediately. "It's almost two in the fucking morning, what is it?"

"You'll probably hear about this soon enough," Weiss began with her voice shaking again. "But my father revoked my status as heiress -"

"He did what?" Emmett demanded in shock before letting out a low sound of irritation. "Sorry, what else happened."

"…Emmett…" Emmeline groggily said in the background. "…What's going on?"

"Jacques revoked Weiss' status as the heiress to the SDC," He murmured, and, even over the line, Weiss could her aunt start swearing under breath. "Why he did is beyond me, but –"

"He…" Weiss hesitated, knowing the topic to be sensitive to the entire family, herself included. "He said I'm exactly like Cinder…although he more specifically said I'm exactly like 'Ashlynn'."

"Oh, fuck him," Emmeline said. "You're nothing like her."

Emmett sighed and, based on the shuffling over the line, took his scroll back from his wife.

"Weiss," He said gently. "I'm assuming you want me to do something to try and help you?"

Weiss sighed in relief. "Emmett -"

"Give me a few days, maybe a week or two," He told her, his voice growing determined. "And I'll handle Jacques."

* * *

**_February 6th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_8:39 PM_**

"Oh, come on!" Ruby said, looking the rest of Team RJNR as they finally left the village of Oniyuri. "I mean, setting up camp here for a little while wasn't so bad. We managed to do some hunting and gathering."

"I still feel incredibly disturbed and mildly violated by this place," Jaune said as Nora elbowed him in the chest, somewhat playfully. "Sorry, it's just -"

Suddenly sensing something as the team was beginning to make its final exit out of Oniyuri, Ren put his hand out to stop Jaune, Nora, and Ruby from continuing onwards. Closing his eyes and focusing, Ren drew his weapon and the others followed his actions as a man in a rather bulky coat charged towards them though the man quickly leaped over one of the walls. He was more than ready to engage the young team in combat. Removing his weapons and laughing eagerly, the man moved himself to attack Ruby but Ren intervened this and his weapons crashed against the man's claw like blades. Attempting to kick and shoot the man, Ren found himself muttering traditional Mistrali swears as the man dodged and he continued to attack and parry with him until the man managed to knock him back about two or three feet.

Once again targeting Ruby, the man found himself and his blades fighting against the High Caliber Sniper Scythe. In the time, despite her strength, he managed to kick her back. Forcing her balance steady to remain upright, Ruby began to clash Crescent Rose against his weapons once again though when struck her right arm she let out a scream of pain to which he sadistically laughed. Continuing on regardless of this, Ruby leapt back and swung at him with her HCSS. The man dodged and struck the body of Crescent Rose while he moved and her red aura shimmered across the area of the strike. Climbing to the top of one of the buildings, Nora began to attempt to jump onto the man and she did succeed in smashing him with her hammer. It was a pity that he quickly recovered and went to attack Ruby again. Stepping in, Jaune attempted to block him but the man simply jumped onto his shield and grinned though he didn't know that Ren was aiming his own weapons at him and Nora attempted to beat him with Magnhild for a second time. Evading both Ren's shots and Nora's attempt to beat him down again, the man jumped the top of one of the narrow, desolate buildings and looked down on Team RNJR, his feet on the wooden frames that were to each side of him.

"We're not looking for a fight!" Jaune told him, holding his sword steady.

"What do you want?" Nora demanded though she was more focused on Ren's reaction to him.

"Who are you?" The level headed boy asked.

Leaning forward and dropping down from the tower, the man landed in front of them before pointing to Ren first. "Who I am matters not to you. Or you," He continued, pointing to Nora. "Or…" Cutting himself off and looking at Jaune he pointed to him. "Well, there are a few reasons why the you might interest me…"

Jaune gasped, the night of Pyrrha's death returning vividly to him. "What are you after?"

"No, I only matter to you," The man said, pointing at Ruby while her teammates looked to her and she tilted her head in confusion.

"Me?" She repeated.

The man broke down into maniacal laughter. "You...you haven't the slightest clue, do you? Oh...how exciting this must be…"

"What do you want?" Ruby snapped and he reacted dramatically.

"Oh! The rose has thorns!" He said, pressing his hand against his forehead. "My little flower, I'm here to whisk you away with me!"

"No," Ren said, stepping in front of Ruby. "You aren't going to touch her. You're probably a pedophile and, at the very least, you're dangerous."

"Yeah!" Nora added. "What if she doesn't want to go with you?"

The man stared and scrunched his lips before responding. "Well...I'll take her."

Stepping over in front of Ruby Jaune raised his shield. "We're not going to let you do that."

The man growled happily after opening his eyes and giving them a dark grin. "Good."

Tyrian moved quickly to attack Jaune from behind while Ren shouted out for him. "Jaune!"

Deliberately shooting Jaune's shield to hit the man and the man covered his eyes with his arms before cartwheeling onto Jaune's shield and spinning against it while Ruby went to face him as he landed though he kicked her to the side and she had to use Crescent Rose to steady herself. Seeing that he was targeting Nora next, Ruby grinned devilishly and shot Nora with lightning Dust that passed over the man's left shoulder. Sensing it, he turned and Nora fell to the ground when it made contact with her and she dropped her hammer to the ground in doing so. Viewing such as an error, the man stared at the girl in surprise before laughing.

In that moment, the others were watching and waiting for Nora's semblance to take over. Commenting sarcastically, the man lost the amusement that had just possessed him moments before upon sensing something while a charged Nora Valkyrie ran at him and hit him hard with Magnhild and the others covered their eyes in result to the air and dust with Jaune and Ren protecting themselves with Jaune's shields though the man was unharmed and his scorpion tail was revealed as his coat flew away and he used it to block Magnhild before kicking her in the face and jumping up onto one of the roof tops.

"He's...a faunus?" Ren observed in surprise.

"What is this about?" Ruby yelled. "The White Fang? Roman Torchwick?"

"Plastic soldiers and pawns," The man scoffed. "My heart and body belong only to our goddess."

"Cinder…" Ruby hissed.

"Hmph," The man snorted in indignance. "Only in her wildest dreams."

Joining the fight once again, the man used his tail to send Crescent Rose down but Ruby counterd and didn't lose her grip - steadying herself to attack furiously until he managed to knock her backwards into Nora. Both girls on the ground, the man knocked Jaune back while Ren returned to the fight to attack the man again. He got shoved to the side and leapt away as the man ran at Ruby and Nora as they got off the ground. Reaching Ruby, he sent a right hook to her face and a left blow into her torso which activated her aura in both places and, swinging his tail to knock her back, she flew back about three feet while he rushed at her before she managed a landing. Still in the air, he kicked her roughly in the abdomen.

A crow flew directly into the fight and transformed into Qrow Branwen who, even after landing, continued to run at the fight. As the crazed man approached Ruby with his stinger raised and Nora comforting Ren, and Jaune stared at both scenes in pure horror as the man began to laugh and attempt to strike the girl with his tail. However, this attempt was futile to the nth degree and Qrow burst through the building and stood between them with his hand on Harbinger behind his back. The man's stinger ran into the blade and clipped it though he began to giggle nervously when he saw Ruby and Qrow making eye contact and smiling at each other.

"Hey," Qrow said, still smiling at his daughter and holding Harbinger at the ready.

"As I live and breathe, Qrow Branwen," The man said as he pulled his tail back. "A true huntsman has entered the fray!"

Standing up, Ruby set Crescent Rose on its end while her father glanced back at her and she spoke to him.

"I don't know..." She said, grimacing as she glanced at Tyrion. "This guy's weird…"

"Look, pal," Qrow said, facing the man again. "I'm not sure who you are, but you need to leave my daughter alone."

The man laughed. "Why, friend, my name is Tyrian...and I'm afraid that is not possible. My assignment from Her Grace was to retrieve this young girl. So, that is what I must do. One does not upset the Queen."

"Yeah, and one also does not simply walk into Mordor," Qrow snapped, looking to his daughter and feel protective. "So, don't you dare lay a hand to her or her friends unless you want to know what the depths of Mordor feel like."

"Queen?" Ruby asked.

"Salem," Qrow replied.

Ruby stared in confusion. "Who?"

"Hmm…" Tyrian began with a smile and crouching. "I think we've had enough talk now, don't you?"

"Took the words right out of -" Qrow started though he stopped as the man ran at him and they damaged the roof as they began their altercation. The members of Team RNJR began to move towards the fight though Qrow stopped them. "Don't come closer!"

"Fine!" Ruby responded as the men continued to exchange harsh blows.

Climbing to the top of a building and waiting for a chance to shoot Tyrian, Ruby kept Crescent Rose tightly in hand though both he and her father were moving too quickly for her to safely get in a clear shot. As she watched, she saw Tyrian using his tail to disarm Qrow and she took advantage of this moment to shoot at him from her temporary perch but Tyrian deflected each and every shot that she fired with his tail. Deciding to punch Tyrian in the face, Qrow sent a harsh kick at the crazed man and beat him down long enough to casually remove Harbinger from the wall. In the time in which his back was turned, Tyrian took the chance to strike that the huntsman evaded and jumped on top of Harbinger before shifting it to its fully unfolded scythe. The two of them parried upon the roof until Tyrian slunk into the building and used his tail to drag Qrow with him. Unable to let herself watch her father put himself in danger, Ruby ran towards the building as Qrow burst through the wall and landed with his weapon's blade embedded in the ground and perching atop of it although his damaged red aura shifted across him twice. Tyrian flew out of the building, his own aura showing signs of damage, and Ruby jumped between them as they began their fight again and deflected Tyrion's claw like blades with Crescent Rose.

"Ruby!" Jaune screamed.

Tyrian smirked ironically. "Do you wish to be taken?"

"No!" Ruby shouted. "But I won't stand by and watch someone get hurt!"

Moving into attack Tyrian alongside her father, Ruby and Qrow began to clash with him again and he almost stabbed the girl with his stinger that Qrow just barely blocked. "Ruby! What did I say? Get back!"

"This is my fight too!" She insisted as she attacked him though he was blade to blade with him.

"No, it's not that," Qrow began, panic beginning to rise in him as he recalled the day her mother had died. "It's -"

Not paying heed to his warning, Ruby began to attack again and Tyrian flipped towards her - knocking her back with a kick from both of his feet. The girl slid closer to the building and regained her ground though one of the wooden beams supporting the roof were so shaken and weighty that one of the heavier ones broke and began to fall onto her. Slicing it in half to cause it to fall to two pieces on her sides and not touching her, Qrow saved his daughter before pulling her into a short, tight embrace. Letting her go, he took in her smile of gratitude and affection before raising his head to look at her though he suddenly gasped in pain as Tyrian's stinger sliced into his abdomen. The man began to laugh but the others stared in horror for a moment before Ruby angrily cut off the rest of his stinger from his tail. The stinger bounced, releasing venom as it did so, and he reeled back, screaming in pain before staring at her in fury.

"You bitch" He shouted, stepping forward though terribly off balance and the others blocked his pathway to the father and daughter. Awkwardly moving forward though not engaging, Tyrian spoke to himself before running away. "She'll forgive you."

Collapsing to one knee and clutching his wound, breathing unevenly, Qrow kept his hold on his weapon as his daughter ran to his side and immediately started to speak in concern. "Dad! Are you okay?"

"I'll be fine…" Qrow said, still uneven, trying to remember the last time that she called him that. "He just grazed me."

"Who was that guy?" Nora asked as he removed his shaking hand from his abdomen to reveal the blood staining it.

"How did he…" Ruby began, her voice shaking. "How did he know where we were?"

"How did you get here?" Ren asked. "How did you know where we were?"

"Why are people after Ruby?" Jaune added in panic.

"Dad?" Ruby began slowly and staring at him in concern before hugging him tightly. "What's going on?"

Breathing heavily, clutching his abdomen, and groaning, Qrow looked at her in the same concern that she was looking at him with.

"What's your favorite fairy tale?" He finally said, repeating the words Ozpin had spoken to him so many years before.

* * *

**_February 17th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:34 AM_**

"Fuck you," Emmett said, storming into his brother in law's study with his sword attached to his side before crossing his arms as he stood in front of the man who simply set down what he was reading on his scroll and eyed the younger man irritably. "Taking away your daughter's status in the way that you did, what's wrong with you? I don't blame her for slapping you across the face after you told her she was no longer the heiress to the Schnee Dust Company. The only reason it didn't bother me with Winter was because she did so willingly. She gave up her title because she wanted to join the military, which I'll have you know -"

"Emmett, I do not need, nor do I want, your input on how to parent," Jacques said, glaring at the younger man. "Especially from a man who is so preoccupied with attempting to murder his sister that -"

"Ash isn't my sister!" Emmett snapped, folding his arms more tightly across his chest. "Okay, and Cristal and Oz are going through a hell of a lot right now, while Willa is only married to you still because of appearances -"

"Yes," Jacques agreed, causing Emmett's eyes to flare.

Emmett was silent for a long moment before he spoke again.

"Before you altered it into your study, wasn't this my father's preferred drawing room?" He said calmly. "The same drawing room, if I'm not wrong, where his assets were distributed."

"You never really have deserved your wealth, have you?" Jacques snarled. "There is a reason that your father left the company to me and not you or Cristal -"

"There are two reasons," Emmett told him, trying to force his words to be steady. "The first is that he knew that I wasn't particularly inclined towards running a company while Cristal was pre-law, and the second is that you manipulated my already volatile, dying father -"

"I did not manipulate Nicholas into doing anything," Jacques replied, biting back a more judgmental response. The two men were both well aware of Nicholas' short temper and they both held a bitterness towards the long since dead man for it. "Do not mistake the past -"

"You really do live in a world of ignorance," Emmett commented silkily with a smirk, attempting to break the older man down. "Jacques, do you know what reflecting means?"

The older man scoffed, his eyebrows twitching. "It means that you put so much faith in history that you have found yourself unable to see past the bridge of your nose even with those glasses of yours."

"Yes, well," Emmett said, intentionally trying to be harsh. "At least my smart appearance matches my actual intelligence while yours does not."

Jacques stared at him in shock before replying, his voice deadly. "What did you just say?"

Emmett forced himself not to laugh. "You know exactly what I said and why."

"No, actually, I don't," Jacques responded with a glare and a challenge rising in his voice. "Do tell."

"You told her she's exactly like Cinder," Emmett reminded him and his eyes flared, first out of shock and then out of anger. "And she is nothing like her! Emmy has said and will say the same thing to you, and, I'm sure, if you step too far then Cristal and Oz will step out from their recluse too."

"On the contrary," Jacques said, standing up and towering over the younger man's small stature. "Apart from the martinis and the occasional cigarette here and there, she is acting exactly like Ashlynn did at this age. She was petulant, she was -"

"Weiss is not petulant, she's finally making her voice heard," Emmett countered with his tone still harsh. "And it's a good thing, because she was terrified of you for her whole life and, now, she's being honest. She's finally standing up for herself and what she believes, so why don't you go -"

"Emmett Arthur Schnee!" Jacques snapped, his eyes flaring again. "You are just as bad as Ashlynn!"

The younger man's eyes widened in horror and his eyes began to tear up. "How dare you!"

"Apart from the killing, of course," Jacques said. "You are exactly like her. Petulant, self-righteous, jaded not to mention that you are manipulative and -"

"You sound like you're describing yourself," Emmett replied venomously. "Take a look in the mirror."

Jacques went to slap Emmett but the younger man caught his wrist before he could slap him.

"You really don't understand what I've done for this family," He snapped. "Do you?"

"What have you done for this family besides destroy it?" Emmett asked him, hissing. "Maybe if you weren't such a -"

Wrenching his hand out of Emmett's grip, Jacques glared. "Why don't you mind your tongue and accept the fact that you are nothing more or less than a jaded huntsman who -"

In a swift, sudden motion, Emmett punched Jacques in the face, his wedding ring hitting the older man squarely in the face before Emmett narrowed his gaze, shaking his head.

"I didn't want to do that," Emmett said, sighing heavily. "All this time, up until now, I've been trying to see a shred of good in you and I can't anymore. You know, I've never cared how things work. If they work they work and if they don't I pay someone to fix it. More time and more money can solve almost all of your problems in life, but I can't fix your issues. You're just a terrible person. That's it."

Jacques rolled his eyes. "And here you are, with your siblings and wife, slandering your own family name and ruining the lives of others."

"No, I'm not," Emmett said, placing a hand on his sword. "Because, unlike you, I put my family first and I actually understand love. Emmy and I have done the best we can…and I just hope that none of our kids end up like you."

Jacques scoffed. "You care too much about people. That's why you would have been a terrible businessman and it's why you're a terrible father."

"Maybe I am," Emmett said, tears forming in his eyes and his voice shaking. "But at least I actually give a damn about others. At least I have morals. That's why I'm a huntsman...if I don't fight, who the hell is going to?"


	60. These Webs We Weave

**_February 3rd_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:35 PM_**

"I told my dad to spill hot coffee on Jacques," Genevieve Sieben said, leaning backwards over the couch in one of the many sitting rooms in the Katt-Ciel's expansive mansion. "He told me that, since he's the Schnee family butler, he can't do shit like that. Which is too bad, because it would have been hilarious."

Ivy raised an eyebrow upon her teammate reaching over, rather precariously, to pull a fried chicken wing out of the small bucket she had put on the floor. She, Devin, and Grace all grimaced upon Genevieve nonchalantly starting to eat as if she had never seen food before in her life.

"You're so tiny," Genevieve remarked, poking Ivy with her chicken leg. "You're pregnant, too. Come on, aren't you worried about the kiddo?"

Grace socked her in the arm. "Don't be insensitive."

"It's fine," Ivy said, chewing at the inside of her cheek. "I probably should eat more than I do, I just can't bring myself to, some days."

"Because of your sister?" Grace said gently.

Ivy sighed. "In part."

"I don't understand her," Devin Katt admitted, rubbing his neck. "She's always had a black-and-white world view, but…"

"Well, we haven't had any good conversations since the Fall," Ivy said bitterly. "Which is funny, considering that Samara and her might as well be the Joker and –"

Ivy cut herself off upon the double doors opening at the other end of the room and Ronnie Ciel stepping in, an eyebrow raised. A nervous silence befell them and the tension did not abate even when Rosella appeared behind him and set a gentle hand to his shoulder.

"Ivory," Ronnie said shortly. "What are you doing here?"

"Spending time with my teammates," She said, her voice almost cold. "But –"

"Of course," Ronnie said, matching her coolness. "How are you doing?"

"Ronnie," Rosella started, a warning note to her voice.

"Ella," He said, turning towards her with his voice low. "She may very well have committed –"

"Treason?" Rosella hissed, drawing him out into the hallway. "Are you out of your damn –"

The doors slammed shut behind them and Ivy flinched, staring at her hands.

"Sorry," Devin said, embracing her awkwardly for a moment. "My dad's a bit –"

"Of a self-righteous bitch?" Genevieve suggested, biting into another leg of fried chicken.

Devin shrugged. "It's kind of a Ciel family trait. Dad's not all bad, but, at the same time…"

Ivy felt her heart sink when she noticed that his tail had dropped and was flicking sadly.

"He's got his own ideas of justice," Devin finally said. "And he wants there to be unbending law. No room for debate. If you broke the law, in his mind, you deserve to rot in prison. I doubt he realizes that you never broke the law or even bent it, but…"

"I get it," Ivy said numbly. "I've been getting a lot of that the last few months."

"And Emmett can suck it," Devin bitterly put in. "Dad's justified since he's supposed to be semi-impartial because he's the fucking Atlesian president, but Emmett definitely isn't."

Genevieve laughed. "What'd your uncle do to piss ya off so much?"

"He took dad's side," Devin replied. "And, in this case, dad's side is the wrong side. I'm on uncle Spencer's side. He gave you a job, after all."

Ivy smiled weakly. "I'm just glad I'll be able to bring my baby with me to work."

"Speaking of which," Grace Wile said playfully. "Do you know if you're having a little girl or a little boy?"

Ivy scowled. "I'm not telling you!"

"Oh, come on…" She protested. "We're your teammates! You can tell us anything!"

Ivy eyed them all for a moment and then rolled her eyes.

"Okay, fine," She said, giving in. "I'm having a daughter."

"Ooooo…" Grace grinned. "Got a name for her yet?"

"Actually, yes," Ivy tiredly rubbed her neck. "Hope Mary Ironwood-Goodwitch."

"I bet Glynda and James are still in shock about the notion of being grandparents in May," Genevieve remarked, then grimacing and thinking better of it. "Sorry."

"It's…okay," Ivy said. "I know it's weird for them…and I know they're having a hard time reconciling their own feelings about it when my brother is just excited and my sister is pissed."

"When isn't she pissed?" Genevieve shrugged. "She'll probably get over it and, if she doesn't, then she'll have to remember that you're her sister and you're stuck with each other."

Ivy managed a half laugh. "I suppose that's fair."

"You'll be okay," Grace told her. "You still have your teammates, you know. If you need babysitters –"

"Hey, I don't know a damn thing about kids!" Devin protested. "What if I gave the kid the wrong snack?"

"Fine, you can watch," Grace sent him a semi-patronizing look. "But, really, Devin, how dumb are you?"

"Very," He replied. "That's why I drink carrot water."

Genevieve shuddered. "And that's why I think you're sacrilegious."

Ivy smirked. "Don't you mean that's why we think he's a weirdo?"

Devin glared at her for a moment but then burst out into laughter, glad his teammates were all happy for the first time since Beacon Academy had fallen months before.

* * *

**_March 9th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:37 PM_**

"You can't be serious!" Jacques said, glaring at the James and Emmeline who both sighed in varied degrees of exasperation. "You and Elizabeth have gone mad if you think that this is a good idea!"

"Even the DFACR is in favor of this motion," James replied as calmly as he could manage. "Which you know full well is the single most -"

Jacques pursed his lips. "If Elizabeth hadn't had the support of Kiara Davis, then I would still have the favour of that department -"

"You were lucky to have gotten acquitted in your trial because there wasn't enough solid evidence to link you to the corrupt members of the DFACR," Emmeline haughtily reminded him and Jacques only glared at his sister in law. "And, this time, the DFACR is of the same opinion on the current matter as the DFAMA and the DLNLE."

"Which rarely happens," Jacques snobbily pointed out. "Seems to me like Elizabeth might have more influence than we all thought she did. It's a shame, she's rather biased against my company because she has a personal vendetta against me. For some reason…"

"I can't speak for Elizabeth Morell, but, if I had to take a wild guess, I can imagine that she has a quote un quote personal vendetta against you because she doesn't like the way you treat your wife, daughters, and son," James told him irritably. "And you know that I agree with that assessment. I don't know how true this is, but, according to Emmett, you removed Weiss's status as heiress because you were angry at her for -"

"She almost killed that woman -" Jacques began to protest though the younger man quickly cut him off.

"No, she didn't," James said, attempting to remain as level as possible. "And what happened was an accident. She didn't intend to summon that grimm and -"

"You act as if I've forgotten that not only my company has suffered but my family!" Jacques snapped and James sighed as the man broke a glass against the wall in anger. "All you've done is -"

"You need to control yourself!" James told him, his voice rising.

"You're talking to me about control?" Jacques demanded. "Do you even hear what you're saying?"

"I am basing everything on my reports from your daughter," James replied, hoping to snap some sense into him even though it wasn't entirely true.

While he had several reports from Winter that were concerning, there were others that confirmed them and, not only had they been jarring to the DFAMA and DLNLE, they had also turned heads internationally as well - specifically in regards to Valerian President Cerise and even Rosalinde Varna. With the threat of war still looming darkly over all of the kingdoms, no one was willing to take any unnecessary risks and Elizabeth was growing more and more distrustful of the Government Council Of The Republic Of Mistral with each passing day. Despite not trusting that council to take action to remove Leonardo, something she fiercely believed was necessary due to his connexions to 'the enemy' as she had put it, the Mistrali Council had not taken her seriously due to her struggle to properly explain what she meant by that without revealing the troubling information that she had shared with President Ciel about Leonardo's questionable loyalties.

"A daughter you stole!" Jacques shouted, removing him from James thoughts and, irritably, he responded.

"Oh, we are not getting into that again!"

"Oh, yes," Jacques began, his anger at his continued slip of control showing through despite knowing that neither James, Emmeline, or Elizabeth had ever held stock with his insinuations and pushes in the kingdom's laws. "We have far more pressing matters to discuss, starting with your apparent lunacy!"

"Jacques!" James started sharply, shaking his head and sighing heavily. "Winter is one of my best. If she's telling me there's a threat in Mistral, then I am not going to take that news lightly. She's been there for weeks, people are mobilizing, sudden spikes in weapons and Dust trades. Someone is about to make a play, and I do not trust Leo to stop them."

The older man scoffed. "You've never trusted anyone other than yourself!"

"And for good reason!" James shouted, slamming his fist onto the desk. "If Oz had just listened to me from the start…"

Jacques rolled his eyes. "You need...to get a grip."

"That's exactly what I'm doing," James informed him, still irritable. "Our people need protection. By this time next week, the kingdom of Atlas will be officially closing its borders. No one in, no one out. Not without the council's permission."

Leaning forward, Jacques lowered his voice to an otherwise intimidating whisper. "You mean without your permission."

James narrowed his eyes and met the older man's gaze. "And if that becomes the case, I would think you'd want to be on my good side."

"You sound pettier than Emmett," Jacques commented and Emmeline groaned. "I really didn't think that the United Kingdom Of Atlas could grow anymore...well, it doesn't matter. I suppose that I was wrong. The removal of those seventeen council members in the DFACR -"

"Was done because you were paying them off," Emmeline reminded him darkly. "Which, even though there was not enough evidence to convict, would have made you guilty of a high crime and/or misdemeanor."

"I did nothing of the sort," Jacques said, although both generals saw past his front. "I have more self-restraint than that and, I assure you, anything Emmett has said about my self-control is completely false and slanderous."

"On the contrary," Emmeline said with a glare. "Emmett and I have come close to obtaining custody of your children more than once because of evidence we were able to provide the court system of abuse. If I'm not mistaken, you've been denied the right to taking custody of our kids before as a result of these proven allegations. I hope you know that the countersuit from ten years ago was a bad decision on your part."

"You and Emmett doesn't know how to raise a child," Jacques replied. "Neither do James and that Valerian woman -"

"Glynda," James hissed, angered by the man's words. "And, frankly, neither of us have ever touched our children in anger or put them down so harshly that -"

"Isn't your eldest suicidal?" Jacques said with his gaze narrowing, scoffing when he saw the look on James's face at the comment. "Pity, such a weakling, I suppose. A good slap or two would have shocked some sense into her -"

"She was stronger than that," James told him, restraining himself from shouting. "She struggled, but she is learning to move forward. She alone has kept herself alive."

"And now she's more unstable than before," Jacques rolled his eyes and turned on Emmeline once again. "But, more to the point, if you and Emmett think that –"

"Shut up!" Emmeline snapped, her patience worn thin. "I don't condone everything my husband does or has done, but he at least recognizes when he's done wrong. You are utterly convinced that you are always correct and -"

"And you should know that he damn near broke my nose the other day!" Jacques shouted. "And he only did so because he was angered about Weiss losing her status as heiress. The Schnee Dust Company and its affairs are none of his concern and never have been. If Nicholas had wanted it to be, he would have given the company to him -"

"I thought that you spent years manipulating Nicholas," James said, cutting across him. "You kept trying to convince him that you were the best person to run the company in his absence as he grew more and more ill towards the end of his life. Didn't you force him to write the inheritance of the company to you into his will when he was just out of surgery for the tumors in his lungs?"

"I never did such a thing!" Jacques insisted though he was lying. "And for you to suggest that -"

The door swung open and Elizabeth Morell stormed in, her face dark and her heels clicking as she approached Jacques and set down a large file in front of him.

"Care to explain this?" She hissed.

Glancing at the file, Jacques's eyes went wide in genuine fear. "Where did you -"

"I had the DFACR and the DLNLE...look into some of your business deals over the years," Elizabeth informed him, flipping to one of the more incriminating pages. "And I would like an explanation for the taxes and payouts - hush money, perhaps? - that you've paid to several questionable groups in, not only the minor kingdoms, Vale, Vacuo, and Mistral."

Jacques let out a low growl of irritation. "I have no idea what you are talking about."

"Do you?" Elizabeth said with a raised eyebrow. "Because these are all directly linked to the bribes you paid to the DFACR members who -"

"Would you care to explain all of this, Madame Morell?" Jacques replied angrily. "Because I doubt you legally obtained this information."

"Ha," Elizabeth said mirthlessly. "I can assure you that I've been working on finding this information for months and followed complete due process of law when making my requests. Now I'd like to remind you of something," Elizabeth narrowed her gaze and leaned towards him, her hands tightly on the edge of his desk. "No one, not me, not James, not Emmett, not Emmeline, not even you - no one is above the law. So, if I were you, I would recommend hiring a good lawyer, because this is not going to disappear for you any time soon."

* * *

**_March 16th_**

**_Washington City_**

**_United Kingdom of Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:29 PM_**

"I don't like this, Oz," Cristal Schnee said, pacing across their bedroom, her dark hair in complete disarray. "I know we're in danger, but we can't hide from her forever. What if we lose all of our leads or, worse, what if Ashlynn finds us all and pulls us into –"

"It's going to be fine," He assured her, running a hand through his own disheveled grey hair. "Chrissy," He said gently, embracing her. "It's going to be okay. Nothing is going to happen to us or the kids and, more to the point –"

"She's never going to stop, Oz," Cristal said softly. "Not unless we actually manage to seal her."

"And we will," Ozpin murmured, tucking a stray strand of her dark brown curls behind her ear. "I promise, everything will be okay. She's not going to hurt you or the kids."

"Either way, I'm stuck as the Winter Maiden," Cristal brushed tears away from her soft grey eyes behind her glasses. "And that is always going to make me a target, especially if people find out about…"

She trailed off, thinking she may have seen something move in one of the wall panels that connected their room to the small library next to it, but dismissed it as her anxiety. What the career prosecutor didn't know (and neither did her husband) was that their daughter, two of their nieces, and one of their nephews were eavesdropping from their perfectly concealed positions. Samara was comfortably seated in one of the bookshelves with a pillow under her head and a blanket wrapped tightly around herself while, below her, Lysithea was also curled up and flipping through a rather large volume, per usual. Matt was sitting near the bottom of the sliding ladder, and, finally, Annetta had crammed herself against the doorway to listen and watch every word and movement her parents made. Carleigh had taught her all the tricks of their house years ago, when they had all still been young kids.

Carleigh had been ten when they had finally moved out of the city of Atlas and into Washington city, which was just thirty-five miles south of the Atlesian capital. Their mother took the train into work every day at a time much earlier than she had before, but they were able to live in a much bigger house and with far more luxury than they would have been able to otherwise. It had been a small sacrifice they had been more than willing to make. The house had been an older one, hence all of its passages and secret rooms that the kids had discovered within the first few years of living there. Carleigh had taught Annetta, Nathan, and Oliver all of the tricks in the book (and, yes, she actually had kept a book of all of the rooms she had found in the house) which meant they knew the place better than either of their parents did.

When the kids had been young, both Cristal and Ozpin had been simply relieved that the kids were easily entertained and weren't constantly begging to watch TV or play on their parents' scrolls. What they hadn't realized until it was too late to stop them (or figure out how they were sneaking around) was that the kids were preoccupied with becoming what Carleigh went on to call "bad little bitches." It was too late to stop them when they figured out how the kids were getting around, or hiding sweets, or pranking each other and, so, they let things be. It had never crossed their minds that the kids would become masters of subterfuge (mainly in eavesdropping) and that they had known the truth about the world they lived in well before their parents had decided it was the right time to tell them.

"They won't," Ozpin assured her. "We're not going to tell the world about this. It would cause mass panic, and it would…"

"Aren't we already in panic?" She weakly countered. "I don't think either of us have so much as left the house more than once in a month since the Fall. We've been hiding. How are we not already in panic?"

Silence fell over them for a moment and, then, they began to speak so softly that Annetta gave up on trying to listen to her parents and sighed heavily, turning towards her cousins.

"This is fun," Samara said dryly, biting off the end of a red vine. "Daddy was right. Shit really has gotten that bad. Terrible, actually."

"You're understating," Matt told her. "Bad was when Yang and that Mercury guy got in a fight. We passed both bad and terrible a long time ago."

"Ain't that the truth…" Annetta muttered.

Lysithea let out a small yelp and then clasped her hand over her mouth, hoping that her aunt and uncle hadn't heard, when Annetta threw a pillow at her head.

"Hey!" She protested quietly. "What the hell was that for?"

"Got anything to say?" Annetta asked with a smirk.

Lysithea shook her head. "Just that I hope we'll all be okay."

Samara sighed. "Isn't that what we're all hoping for, at this point?"


	61. We're Made of Dead Things

**_March 25th_**

**_Location: Unknown_**

**_7:21 PM_**

"Cinder!" Salem shouted, glaring at the woman who looked up at her quickly. "There is something we need to discuss."

Turning quickly in surprise, the former Schnee felt her hands shaking. Motioning to Emerald, the small, green-haired girl came to her side while she whispered to her what to say to the Queen. Sighing, Emerald forced herself to meet Salem's ever more terrifying gaze.

"Uh..." The young woman said nervously. "She says that she isn't sure what -"

"Over here," Salem said, beckoning the sorceress towards her. "And you two," She said, glaring at Emerald and Mercury. "Stay over by the door."

Slowly, Cinder sat down next to Salem at the table in the large room that had grown all too familiar in the last twenty years. Her gaze falling on the mirror at the other side of the room, Cinder bit her lip to avoid shuddering at the memories of torture by that particular object.

"Look up," Salem commanded, and Cinder did so hesitantly. "There is a part of your training that I know we've neglected and that would be your...control over grimm. Since we have spent years working with controlling and even eliminating your emotions with the mirror, I should think that it is best to start with the creature that is in control of that mirror. A seer, naturally."

Cinder stared at her in shock before Salem snapped her fingers and one of the many seers within the Queen's domain came to her side, slithering before it wrapped its tentacles around Cinder's wrists. Recalling her previous tortures at the hands of this creature - both by the mirror and with her body, Cinder forced herself not to cry from the pain as the tentacles wrapped only tighter around her wrists until she focused the half maiden powers she had into singeing it off of her. Salem temporarily gave her a faint smile of approval though her lips pursed when she saw the fear that was rising in the girl's face. Tapping her foot under the table, Salem shook her head before summoning the creature to her side and positioned it so that it was directly across from her apprentice.

"I know that you do not have your full power as a result of that...Glynda Goodwitch," Salem said bitterly. "But that is no excuse. Give in to your abilities and force the creature to fear you! You may not be the Fall Maiden as you are destined, but you are a sorceress!" Dismissing the seer temporarily, Salem glared. "Cinder, there is no reason for you to not be this weak! I have spent the last twenty years training you and I am growing increasingly irritated by your -"

"But -" Cinder began, her voice still low, barely audible, and raspy.

"No," Salem said firmly. "Now, with Ozpin in Atlas, we are more vulnerable than before. The protection he's getting – even if only because of his wife's status – is strong and your failure to kill him has put us all worse off. Do you understand me?"

Cinder nodded weakly, fighting back the memories of her family that always resurfaced at the most unfortunate times, and Salem casually held out her right hand as the girl began to breathe heavily in response to the grimm that the Queen was using to manipulate her and her powers.

"Do you feel it?" Salem demanded. "Don't fight it, girl. It can sense your trepidation. You must make it dread you."

Cinder turned back to the door when Salem summoned the seer back into the room and it glowed a faint, ominous yellow while its tentacles brushed against the floor. The second the doors swung open to allow it passage and it came into sight, both Emerald and Mercury shrunk back in fear as it entered once again and slowly it meandered to the Queen's side. Leaning to it to ask it to have it confirm or deny what Hazel had told her, Salem clasped her hands together and narrowed her gaze once again. Cinder's eyes went slightly wide and her hands shook though she felt herself growing increasingly nervous about the possibility of Salem seeing her as weak. Recounting the things she had been able to do and the powers she had gained, Cinder tried to reassure herself that she was not weak but there was a part of her that was still in doubt when Salem leaned closer to her and pinched her lips together.

"Cinder, I am going to ask you this one more time, and I expect a clear answer," Salem said, her voice deadly and menacing. "Did you kill your brother during your mission last month?"

Biting her lip once again, Cinder began to call Emerald towards her once again though Salem stopped her by slamming both of her hands onto the table with her eyes glowing ominously as she shouted.

"No!" Salem commanded and Cinder lowered her arm fearfully. "I want to hear you say it."

Though it had been months since Beacon had fallen and that silver eyed child had damaged her, Cinder was still having some difficulty speaking and, for that reason, rasped several times before she managed to speak hoarsely once again. "No…I wasn't able to."

Several beats passed in which Salem stared at and assessed her before looking to her seer with her ornaments jangling. "Reinforce our numbers at Beacon. The Relic is there, and, no, I do not care that that Glynda Goodwitch is almost done with her control over the most basic repairs to the structure and exterior. The more fear we can drive into the area the better because I have several flames of hope to...extinguish. Starting with a certain Lysithea, actually. That poor little clairvoyant is going to be a thorn in my side, I can imagine and, considering that she's so young, the sooner I do away with her the better. She's nothing more or less than her mother's child."

Cinder began to feel sick as she bit at her nails, worried about what that could refer to and likely did. Salem on the other hand, began to grow lost in thought as she casually directed the seer into the mirror once more and Emerald and Mercury watched. Turning her head away from Cinder, Salem began to tap her fingers against her chin as she thought about the possibility of her and Cinder's efforts to kill Ozpin (and other members of her family) as having not been enough. The mere thought of her enemy's name, his wretched name, brought her back to the memories of her daughters, the four girls she had carried and it made her angry, so angry in fact that her eyes began to glow as they did when she was on the precipice. All of her losses only made her the more eager to kill Ozpin but she knew that it was not going to be easy despite her feeling justified in what she was doing and the means by which she was doing so. It wasn't until she glanced back at Cinder that she realized that the girl suffered from the same flaw that she did. She cared too much for her family and specific members of it were valued over others.

"What are you planning?" Salem questioned quietly before turning to Cinder and speaking to her with blunt authority. "The mirror. Now."

Anxiety threatening her, Cinder stood up with her hands and body shaking in fear for what she knew could happen to her nieces. It bothered her, somewhat, that she cared so much for the brats but there was a faint, neglected side of her that was maternal towards them and she knew that it had existed for years. Never had she ever had a desire to hurt the two of them and especially Sam. Tears in her eyes, Cinder wiped them away angrily before grasping the railing in front of the mirror tightly - not daring to look at her appearance reflected in it. Feeling Salem's fingers grasping her shoulder, Cinder forced herself to look up in spite of herself though she gasped upon noticing the faint rim of sparks around her eyes that indicated the bit of power she had stolen from Amber.

The second her hand was released from around the girl's shoulder, Salem waved a hand at the mirror to force it to show wherever her brother was and the woman stared in horror when she saw the group of bandits surrounding him, his wife, that blonde from Beacon, Sam, Lysithea, Matt, and Annetta. As the seedy men moved closer to them and the blonde one walked away from her motorbike, Cinder could see Emmett drawing sword in one hand while he summoned a glyph for protection. Emmeline had drawn her rifle, it was obvious that Emmett was cursing, and Sam, Lysithea, Matt, and Annetta had their own weapons at the ready.

Salem clicked her tongue in irritation. "Tell me, Cinder, is your 'love' for your family coming back again?"

"No..." Cinder rasped though it was a lie to even her ears.

Taking sharp note of the fear in the former Schnee's eyes as they both the scene, Salem pinpointed the weakness and shook her head in disapproval though she herself knew it was hypocrisy.

"Oh..." She remarked. "It's Emmett's daughters. Samara and Lysithea..."

The image changed again and this time it showed Lysithea standing in the center of one of the rooms within the Queen's foreboding domain. The young huntress was shivering in fear and collapsed to the floor, curling into herself and mumbling incoherently though Cinder had a few guesses as to what the girl could be scared by. Lifting her head up suddenly upon hearing the heavy metal doors open, Lily screamed when she saw Salem walking towards her with her eyes glowing. Shaking her head with her white curls flailing wildly, Lysithea clenched her fists and tried to run but found herself unable to move. Reaching her side, Salem bent down and used a finger to tip the girl's head back before forcing her to look at her. Sighing, the Queen flicked her wrist once and the tentacle of a seer pierced through her and the girl collapsed on the floor in a heap.

Closing her eyes and shattering the mirror as she let out an agonized cry, Cinder felt a hard slap across her face and Salem glaring at her while the image disappeared and the mirror frosted over once again. Out of the corner of her eye, Cinder could see Emerald staring at her sympathetically and Mercury blowing her kiss - an act that only caused her to glare, summon a fireball, and throw it at his head to singe the top of his hair. Mercury stared at her in shock before he looked to the door and reminded himself that there was never any possibility of Cinder Fall loving him despite the flame he carried for her. He knew that Emerald felt the same way about the sorceress and it was one of the more awkward aspect of their friendship though he knew that she was relieved that Cinder was unaware of her attraction to her.

"Stop being weak!" Salem screamed at Cinder as the sorceress leaned against the railing to steady herself. "Pray you do better with fighting against the grimm or I will be utterly disappointed in you!"

Pushing the girl into the other room so that it would simply be the two of them, Salem summoned four beowolves to the scene and snapped her fingers together to order Cinder to begin her attack. Starting with her natural born powers rather than straining herself with the maiden powers, Cinder sent a flaming arc in the direction of the grimm before continuing to do so in direct succession. Looking back to the darkened hallway to which they had entered from, Cinder tried to focus herself as the creatures only moved closer to her in their perfect formation. Adjusting her hands and thereby her aim, Cinder began to attack the creatures once again though this time, unlike the last, it killed them and monsters disintegrated. Now breathing heavily, Cinder forced herself to breath though she felt her chest constrict when she heard the footsteps of another grimm. Turning to face it with a gasp and her hands shaking, Cinder stared for a moment in fear as it leapt towards her though she killed it with a well aimed ball of fire. Seeing no more enemies and temporarily forgetting Salem was in the room as her fears fell back to Lysithea, Cinder collapsed to hear knees and held her head with an arm and tried, to no avail, to steady her breathing again.

"Enough," Salem said, walking towards the woman who was still on her knees. "I thought you were the girl who wanted power. Did you lie to me?"

Cinder winced though she forced herself to look up and shook her head.

"Then stop holding back," Salem told her sharply. "If you wish to master whatever of the powers of the Fall Maiden you have, you must -"

"I'm sorry..." Tyrian mumbled as he wandered into the room while he sobbed and fell to his knees, bowing his head and laying his hands onto the floor though he raised his hand up to his chin. "She'll forgive me. Please..." Once again bowing, Tyrian tried to reason. "Forgive me..."

"Tyrian!" Salem shouted as she stood before him and he remained on his knees though he raised his head and Cinder pushed herself up off of the ground. Holding her arm imperially, Salem glared at him as he bowed his head once again. "Your task. Were you successful?"

"N...no..." Tyrian admitted in fear, watching her narrow her eyes before walking away and Cinder, her eyes wide, observed the Queen - refusing to meet the faunus man's gaze. Deciding to beg, Tyrian shifted himself to remain facing the Queen. "But...but hope is not lost! My tail, my stinger, I...I poisoned him, Qrow! He will not be a nuisance to you any longer, no...no longer! I've done that...have I done well? Have I pleased you?"

Salem pursed her lips. "The last eye is blinded...you disappoint me."

Leaving with perfect grace, Salem left her apprentice alone with the man as he fell forward once again, wailing as if he was a small child. Simply recognizing that pierced the former Schnee more than she would care to admit and she could only stare as a beowolf approached him. Ignoring Cinder in spite of her fear and capitalizing on the steady flow of negative emotion that was being exhibited by Tyrian, it began to leap towards him. Wailing still, Tyrian hit it with force and the creature landed on its back while he opened his weapons and himself leapt atop if it. Slashing at it with his tears still streaming down, Tyrian let himself begin to laugh in his violence towards the creature though it was all Cinder could do to not burst into tears as she observed the scene in utter horror.

* * *

**_April 3rd_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:29 PM_**

"Whitley!" Jacques snapped, looking at his son who was shifting nervously. "Are you listening or are you not?"

"Of course, father," Whitley said, his hands tightly clasped behind his back. "Might I ask why you are so enraged?"

Jacques's eyes flared and he groaned. "General Ironwood, for one. Although Elizabeth Morell and your aunt are not helping the slightest. Did you hear that the Department of Financial Affairs And Corporate Restriction is suing me for supposed business malpractice? Apparently, the DFACR thinks that my business deals over years are now something of scrutiny. Actually, they have even included your grandfather's granting me the company in the first place as a possible...infraction."

"Why?" Whitley asked nervously, terrified at the idea of inciting his father's anger. "I mean, grandfather gave you the company because you were the best person to lead it. Why would that be in question?"

"Because General Ironwood and General Ciel are convinced that I coerced your grandfather to write that into his will while he was still somewhat under anesthesia from surgery," Jacques told him, his eyes narrow. "It's complete poppycock, naturally."

"Naturally," Whitley agreed though a part of him wasn't sure. "What is Elizabeth Morell doing that is causing the company trouble?"

"Well, just her being the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council is one," Jacques said, rolling his eyes. "How a woman that unstable could have her position is beyond me but I suppose that the people think of her as a 'redeemed' woman. I shouldn't say this, and you best not repeat it, but it's a relief that Cristal and Ozpin aren't in a position, now, to add fuel to the fire."

Whitley flinched at the name of his aunt and uncle. "Well," He said weakly. "I can imagine that Emmett isn't helping things either, if General Ciel is already angry."

"Do not get me started on Emmett!" Jacques said as he leaned back in his chair and groaned. "The man is insufferable! All his life, he had been raised to the standard that a Schnee ought to hold themselves to, but he acts like he was raised on the streets! Did you know that he destroyed one of my cars once? Or should I tell you about how Emmett also inherited some money from his father that was later revoked and then, in a more than inappropriate stroke of audacity, told all of us on his sixteenth birthday that he wanted to become a huntsman rather than a respectable profession? He spent the next two years training intensely before he was accepted to Atlas Academy by shortly before he turned eighteen in the October of his first year? That was where he met that Valerian woman and Ironwood...and of course Roman Torchwick."

"That is...appalling," Whitley said even though a part of him was amused and almost admired the things his uncle had done to spite his father. "Who is 'that Valerian woman' Emmett met at Atlas Academy?"

Jacques scoffed. "Glynda Goodwitch, Beacon's current headmistress since Ozpin's position was revoked following the Fall. As his deputy headmistress, the Government Council of the Unified States of Vale decided that she of all people would be the most fit to lead the academy."

"Oh," Whitley said, trying to mask the fact that he already had know who his father had been referring to. "She isn't -"

"She married Ironwood twenty years ago," Jacques told him. "And they had three kids who are all awful in their own ways. Their eldest, one of their twin daughters, is clinically insane yet pursuing law. Their other daughter had an affair with Adam Taurus and his having his child, while I'm almost certain their son, their youngest, is in love with that brooding faunus girl your sister was stuck on a team with...but I don't know for sure."

Whitley bit his tongue, forcing himself not to react in anger to his father's racism, disagreeing with it in its entirety in the same way that the majority of the world did. He knew that the White Fang was one of the most violent groups in the world, but he wasn't without mercy.

"That's..." He started slowly.

"You don't need to tell me, I know," Jacques said, waving a hand dismissively. "I just cannot understand where all of this ignorance comes from!"

Your narrow mind, for one, Whitley thought as a quiet knock was heard on the door to his father's study.

"My apologies, father," He said shortly. "But were you expecting anyone?"

Jacques stood up to get the door, glaring at his wife outside while she forced herself to meet his gaze despite being afraid. "You're late," Jacques snarled as she sat down and tightened her grip on her wine. "And I simply cannot accept that."

"Oh really?" Willow snapped, her voice stronger than she had been expecting. "Well, I hope you haven't been hurting our son - or have you forgotten that Weiss has been gone for over a week now while Winter ran off to the military and Qrow Branwen years ago?"

"Qrow Branwen is several years older than her, for one," Jacques shouted. "Something I do not approve of, and, for another, I believe they are separated as of now because he went after his niece!"

"Yes, well at least he cares about our daughter!" Willow snapped again. "At least he loves her!"

"Shut up!" Jacques commanded her, slapping her across her face while Whitley turned away, unable to watch. "Just be pretty and drunk, or perhaps listen to me for once!"

"Oh, please," Willow said, glaring at him, unusually confident. "I already know you're in legal trouble over the circumstances under which you received the SDC and your running of it, but you're also in legal trouble with the Department of Health and Human Resources."

Jacques stared at her, stunned, before he spoke in his eerily calm tone and forced away the fear of what she could be implying. "I beg your pardon?"

Willow smirked and took a sip of her wine. "See, I, after all these years and with the help of Emmeline and Emmett, provided the DHR with evidence that not only have you physically, mentally, and emotionally abused me, Winter, Weiss, and Whitley, but that you -"

"You bitch!" Jacques shouted, his composure slipping and she winced out of habit after having suffered this for so many years. "How dare you -"

"And, if things go the way the DHR thinks they will," Willow shouted back, feeling guilty when she saw Whitley flinch and cover his ears. Lowering her voice, she sighed. "I am going to take full custody over Whitley, regain the house, and possibly the company. You're not going to win, not this time. I won't let you. I've been through fucking enough over the years, and I am done putting up with your crazy. Weiss and Winter may have run so fucking far from all of this, but Whitley can't and they have left him here with us! You're not a broken man anymore, Jacques, you are a fucking -"

"Don't you dare," Jacques grabbed her sharply by the wrist. "You won't."

"Yes I will," Willow told him, staring at their son and breaking free from his grip. "Whitley, come along. You and I can spend some time together. Perhaps you'll play me a new composition on the piano?"

Whitley smiled and took his mother's hand as if he were a small child. "Of course, mother."

"Mom, or mommy," Willow corrected him with a smile. "Oh, and Jacques," Willow said, glaring at her husband. "I think that the divorce papers that Elizabeth is helping me obtain will come to light soon enough. So, since Emmett and Emmeline aren't in the room to say it, fuck you."

The door shut deftly behind her and their son and, for the first time, it occurred to Jacques that may he had, despite everything, once loved her and let the lust and power inebriate him. Perhaps she had been right, that night a few weeks before, when she had told him that she simply assumed that he had done something (or been involved in) very, very wrong.

* * *

**_April 13th_**

**_Anima_**

**_1:33 PM_**

"Yeah, this would be Mistral," Emmett muttered with a nervous smile they all hesitantly entered the Branwen Tribe's lands. "But the... shady part, so we need to be careful."

Team SAML and Yang had been traveling with the swordsman and the general for the last few weeks, and it was a damn relief that there hadn't been much danger over the last few days. Still, he had been set on edge. Everything seemed so wrong, and he was just as worried as Emmeline for their son, who was still at home in Atlas. He felt absolutely terrible for not being home for their son's eighth birthday, but they hadn't a choice. It had sounded like, based what Spencer had said, Eddie was doing just fine, but that knowledge was little comfort. Emmeline had become more and more keyed up as the weeks had gone on, while Samara had been anxious at best and Lysithea had become snappish. Matt was the only one of all of them that had remained somewhat optimistic, but Yang was doing her best to squash that out of him.

It certainly didn't help that Annetta had lost control of her powers as a sorceress and had fallen unconscious for a few days because of it.

"This will be fun," Emmeline said dryly, brushing some of the dirt off of her combat uniform and reaching for her rifle out of habit.

"Yeah," Yang agreed with a slightly derisive snort. "I expect honor from people like this."

Annetta rolled her eyes and slung her axe over her shoulder. "These aren't good people, Yang."

"I was being sarcastic," She snapped. "And –"

"Daddy screamed the first time he saw a grimm," Samara suddenly interjected, and Emmett paused, looking rather embarrassed, while Emmeline took his hand and laughed with the others. "He told us about it one time. It sounded hilarious."

"Okay, that's not fair," Emmett protested. "I had been eighteen, it was the first mission my team and I had ever gone out on, and that was the first time I ever came across a grimm. Happy now?"

Everyone laughed, although Yang rolled her eyes at the story.

"Emmett," She said, still laughing herself. "You didn't really scream the first time you saw a grimm, did you?"

Emmett winked. "If you want to get confirmation, I'm sure that, when we get back to Atlas, Glynda or James will be more than happy to confirm that story for you."

They all suddenly fell silent. Though it had been over a week since they had fought and caused serious damage to the bandits who were leading them into the camp, the men were still seriously bruised and a few were moaning in pain. They all believed that it served them right. Annetta sent Yang a sympathetic look though everyone tensed when the other bandits on the path were glaring at their group. Yang supposed that had something to do with Emmett, Emmeline, and Team SAML being noticeably Atlesian although Yang thought that unfair, especially since Annie was an Atlesian-Valerian and Yang herself was a Valerian. It didn't shock her that there was a sentiment against Atlas in this area, but it bothered her regardless and she saw two bandits set down some playing cards before they began to walk towards the group. A woman stood outside of her tent and stared out all of them though when they reached the main tent, Raven stepped out with her mask on.

"Mom," Yang said, crossing her arms irritably.

"Yang," Raven replied, removing her mask slowly. "So, after all this time and my continued offers, you finally decided to visit me."

Her natural hand shaking, Yang felt her eyes narrow sharply, matching her mother's own stare. "You know that I searched for you, I spent years looking for you before you sought me out twice. Once to save me, the second to offer me to join the tribe."

Raven smiled faintly. "And you've found me despite me not giving you much instruction as to where my tribe was. You were patient, determined, and strong enough to make your dream a reality beyond two meetings. Well done, Yang, but did you have to be so rough with my men?"

"I didn't want a fight," Yang informed her, sending Emmett and Emmeline a pointed look before turning back to her mother and her men. "They started it."

"Well, you certainly finished it," Raven began, allowing for some silence. "Right. I'm sure this is all very overwhelming, but I must admit that you've proven yourself. So, any questions you have I'll be happy to answer. You can stay with us tonight. I'll even have the cooks whip up something for you."

"That's not why I am here," Yang told her and the rest of the tribe reacted in shock at her lack of reverence for their leader.

"What was that?" Raven asked, her voice darkening.

"I'm not here for you," Yang said, irritable even as Ivy squeezed her hand again. "Ruby is somewhere in Mistral. She's with Qrow, and she's going to need my help. I just need you to take me to her."

Raven's eyes flared though she didn't use her maiden powers. "And why would I do that?"

Yang glanced over to the others, knowing full well why they were there. Emmeline had come on official business for the Atlesian government. Without even having to ask, Yang had known the general meant every word she was going to say and didn't give a damn about the tribe beyond striking a deal. Emmett had come with her, in part because he couldn't bear the thought of being separated from her in the aftermath of the Fall, especially with two of their kids going with her. Yang also knew that he had made a promise to his sister and Ozpin that he would do his part in protecting the Schnee family, and that he wouldn't let Spencer and Karissa be put through more hell than they already had been in the last several years. Regardless, it made things difficult but even Yang knew that she needed the support. She was never going to push them out, and it would probably be well worth whatever arguing they were dealing with in the meanwhile.

"Look," Forcing herself to speak, Yang sighed. "You'd do that because we're family."

Raven scowled at her and began to mutter to herself. "Family, only coming around when they need something." Looking back to her daughter and projecting her voice again, Raven replied. "I have to say, I'm disappointed. After all, you found me, didn't you? Why not take that drive and use it to find your little sister, I mean cousin, if she means that much to you?"

"Because," Yang said, trying to force her to see reason. "You're going to save me time. Ruby was heading to Mistral, but there's no guarantee she's made it there. Looking for her in Anima could take ages...but...dad told me how your semblance works."

"Tai..." Raven muttered under her breath, before cursing her ex-husband and sending Emmeline a dark look. "Let me guess, he told Elizabeth too and now that bitch wants me dead even more. Pathetic."

"You can bond to certain people," Yang pressed on. "And when you do, you could create a portal that takes you straight to them. You've got one for dad, one for me, and you've got one for Qrow. He promised me he'd watch out for Ruby before he left, and I trust him. So, make me a portal to my uncle and sister, and I'll be on my way."

"You know," Raven growled, angered that she still thought of Ruby more as her sister than as her cousin. "It takes real strength to march in her and demand such a favor of me. I've got to say, I'm impressed. It's very noble to want to help out your...'sister', but if she's with Qrow, then she's already a lost cause to me and she should be to you too."

"What does that mean?" Yang demanded.

"You don't want to get mixed up in all of that, Yang," Raven told her, glaring at Emmett and Emmeline in particularly. Emmett, in part because Emmeline gently set a hand to his shoulder, forced himself not to retaliate although he knew that Raven knew he was still a loyal member of the group. "Ozpin is not the man you think he is, and Qrow is a fool for trusting him. The Schnees are too, actually. I would know, I trusted him once too."

"I don't care what you think," Yang told her, looking at Emmett who bit his lip upon noticing Myrtenaster in the other woman's hand before she glared at it and set her right hand to her hip.

"Your choice is your own," Raven told her daughter. "All I'm suggesting is that instead of getting wrapped up in something too big for you, for any of us, that maybe you take a moment to wonder if you're already where you belong."

"Save your breath," Yang snapped. "You can spout off whatever you want, but nothing is going to keep me from my sister."

"Well, aren't you stubborn," Raven commented, her eyes narrowing.

"I get it from my mom," Yang informed her angrily.

"Well, if that's how you feel," Raven said, trying to conceal her hurt. "Then it sounds like we're done here. Take her away."

Even though the bandits began to move towards her and the rest of the group reached for their weapons, Yang turned back to Raven. "Did you not hear me?" Yang demanded, watching her mother turn back to her while Yang found her eyes turning red. "I said send me to Qrow, damn it!"

"That's enough! You watch your mouth in front of our leader!" One of the bandits yelled and some of his comrades tensed behind him as he went to attack her though she punched him into a tent that revealed Weiss who was sitting in her cage.

"Yang?" Weiss started, before she noticed her cousins, aunt, and uncle. "Wait, what? I -"

"Weiss?" They all exclaimed to varying degrees of shock.

Emmett looked as if he could kill someone for everything that had happened, even if a lot of it happened in a matter of seconds.

"Alright," Weiss said to herself, while the others all looked in shock as the others realized that they knew each other. "Well, subtlety is out."

Forcing her summoned Arma Gigas to expand and destroy the cage, Weiss ran towards her uncle, cousins, and friend with it following her. Yang was the first one to speak in shock.

"What is that?" She asked almost breathlessly.

"Don't worry about it," Weiss said while Annetta stared in awe and Matt began to laugh, almost falling onto the ground while Sam and Lysithea smirked. "What?"

"I'm sorry," Matt breathed through his laughter. "But I just...holy fuck that is something!"

"What are you all doing here?" Weiss asked.

Yang gestured to Raven. "Well...that's my mom, and she can take us to Ruby."

"Ugh," Raven groaned.

"Your mom kidnapped me?" Weiss half-screamed in shock.

"You kidnapped her?" Yang shouted, turning to her mother as they all raised their weapons to fight the bandits though a lightning bolt stopped them before a fight could ensue.

"Enough!" Vernal shouted.

"Thank you," Raven said to Vernal though she glared at everyone else. "If you people don't keep it together, this place will be crawling with grimm!" Grudgingly, she turned back to Vernal who followed her command in surprise. "Give the girl her weapon back. You all. In my tent. Now."

"Why?" Yang and Emmett demanded at the same time before narrowing their eyes at each other.

"If you're really going after these people," Raven began bitterly before entering her tent and the rest of her tribe went back to their work. "Hell, since Emmett is one of these people, Emmeline too, then you need to know the truth."

Once she was gone, Weiss placed a hand to her chest in relief while Yang spoke. "Sorry about -"

Suddenly dropping Myrtenaster, Weiss hugged Yang tightly. "I missed you so much."

"I've missed you too," Yang admitted, never more relieved to see the heiress.

"What part of 'in my tent, not' do you all not understand?" Raven demanded, coming back out with her hands on her hips. "Has Atlas really made you all that soft?"

Team SAML, Yang, and Weiss all ran inside, in part because it had started to rain, but Emmett and Emmeline remained on the stairs. Both of them looked pissed, and were standing just in front of Raven and matched her gaze almost flawlessly.

"Well," She said, looking irritable. "You all are going to be here for a while."

Emmett scowled. "We'll determine that for ourselves."

Emmeline sent him a dark look and stepped on his foot. "Whatever happened to striking an alliance with them?"

Raven raised an eyebrow. "Striking an alliance with me, General Ciel?"

"Yes," Emmeline said shortly, crossing her arms. "I believe we have terms to negotiate, don't we?"

Raven considered that. "Yes," She said. "I believe we do."

"And keep in mind that we have the DFAMA behind us in Atlas," Emmett added, pausing in front of Raven with his wife still by his side, who looked a bit exasperated. Team SAML and Yang had already disappeared into the tent. "Especially since you've run so fucking far from responsibility."

Raven scowled at him. "You know something, Schnee?" She said, her voice dripping in venom. "There was a time I thought I was in love with you, before Tai, but I've realized who you are. You're not even a sliver of the man you think that you are and, for everything that you have, you're always going to have a hole in you that can't be filled with money, drugs, and cars. I'm so glad I never ever had a baby with you…you don't give a damn about anything unless there's something in it for –"

Emmett suddenly punched her in the face, and Emmeline sighed.

"You're the one in the wrong," Emmeline told her. "You're just too blind to see it."

Raven snorted. "Well, then," She said darkly. "Let's hope you've all got something good for me."

* * *

**_April 19th_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:53 PM_**

"Glynda…" James sighed as she closed out of the images of the current state of Beacon on her scroll. "I...it's looking better, isn't it?"

"I guess," She said, rubbing her glasses against the sleeve of her blouse. "But...but the grimm population is supposedly rising again."

"Hey," James said, sitting down next to her and pulling her into him. "It's going to be okay. Things are getting better, just not at the rate I know you were hoping for."

"It's not just Beacon..." Glynda admitted, her voice barely more than a whisper. "I...I...I'm scared about what might happen to all of us, especially given everything that's happened, and I..."

"Glynda, I promise it's going to be fine," James gently began to stroke her hair as she rested her head on his shoulder and began to cry into him. "Glyns, I know this is hard on you, and it's been hard for me too, but it's...they'll be fine."

"Jamie -" Glynda began though he cut her off with a kiss and she sighed as he brushed her tears away with his finger.

"Glynda, there are very few people I actually trust," He said gently. "And it's you, the Ciel-Schnees, Cristal, Cate, Jake, and…and Ivy."

Glynda sighed. "James -"

"As it happens, that's our family," James pointed out, causing her to sigh. "Okay? We'll be okay…I just wish we knew what to do. Oz has gone silent, Cristal might as well be unreachable, and I barely know what to do. Honestly, beyond revealing the truth that Oz has been so damn afraid of this whole time, I…"

"Don't say it," She told him, not wanting to think about the powers any more than she had to because it only brought her thoughts back to what Cinder had done to Beacon. "I already have to think about that enough, all things considered."

"I know," James said, sighing heavily. "I shouldn't -"

"How do you..." Glynda began though she shook her head. "Never mind, I -"

"Glyns, I know that there's no way you would be having such violent nightmares if it weren't on your mind," James told her as gently as he could. "And I know that you're nervous about having to fight and kill Cinder -"

"It's not that she doesn't deserve it," Glynda said, trying to force her voice to be steady. "But I just...I...I don't feel right about killing another person."

"Neither do I," James assured her though her eyes only began to tear up again. "Glynda, even if you do kill her, even when the other half of the powers transfers to you... you're still going to be the woman I married twenty years ago."

"Am I?" She challenged, unsure of what to do. "Because I'm going to kill a woman to prevent her from -"

"From killing you and taking the rest of the powers of the Fall Maiden?" He pointed out and she sighed. "Glynda, for all intents and purposes, it's more like self-defense -"

"I know that!" She snapped in exasperation. "I that that is what it is, mostly, but that doesn't mean I feel any better about doing it! I'm pissed that she killed Edward Ciel, I'm pissed that she hurt Elizabeth, and I'm really pissed that she's tried to tear Emmett's family apart but that doesn't mean that I feel justified in killing her! Emmett has a direct reason, Elizabeth has a direct reason - fuck, even Tai, Sam, and Lysithea, Eddie, and Emmeline would be justified in killing but that doesn't mean any of us truly want to do those things or could!"

James was silent for a moment before helping her to her feet and walking out onto the balcony with her while a light rain fell.

"Glynda, it's going to be alright," He gently repeated. "I don't like any of this either, but none of us have much of a choice."

"I know," She admitted weakly. "But I..."

"Glynda, no matter what happens," James wrapped his arms around her waist and pulled her into him before kissing her deeply while her arms wrapped around his neck. "I'm going to love you no matter what."

Tears weighing down her eyelashes again, Glynda nodded. "I love you so much..."

"So do I," James swore, pulling her even closer to him as the doorbell to their house rang out.

One arm still around her waist, the two of them walked down to the first floor to get the door where Elizabeth was with Tai, looking rather disheveled. Glynda narrowed her eyes, but motioned them upstairs nonetheless before slamming the door with her crop and crossing her arms as she stared at the shut door for a moment. Biting her lip as James followed the Tai and Elizabeth upstairs, Glynda lingered before sighing irritably and pushing up her glasses. Stomping up the stairs with her crop in hand and sitting down next to James on the couch across from Elizabeth and Tai, she took in the room for a moment before twisting her side bangs around her fingers. Elizabeth was somewhat shaky and Tai was rubbing her back until James finally broke the silence and he released his wife.

"What happened?" James asked, looking to Elizabeth who rubbed her neck.

"Jacques," Elizabeth informed him, her tone increasingly bitter. "That little bitch's trial starts in a few days and...well, he published this."

Handing him her scroll, she watched him as James's eyes widened at shock upon seeing the headline.

**Is the Atlesian Government Corrupt? An Inside Look at Elizabeth Morell's Uncanny Knowledge Of Alleged Business Deals Made by Jacques Schnee.**

"No," James said, glaring at the headline before handing her scroll back to her. "That's bullshit. You followed every single law in place when it came to looking into Jacques's company and -"

"And that's not the worst of it," Elizabeth said, her anger rising. "Because he is hindering the trial by manipulating the media -"

"He's not going to get off," James said but Elizabeth only glared. "He's not -"

"Ha," Elizabeth said though she was unamused. "Clearly, he's got some networks in his back pocket. Believe me, I'm pissed but he's attempted to discredit me by citing my testimony -"

"What?" Glynda stared at her with her arms still crossed and her riding crop in her hand. "That son of a bitch! How would that -"

"Because he's trying to convince people that my testimony reveals mental scarring that makes me unfit for office," Elizabeth told her, wanting to break something. "And if I was given half a chance, I would be very forthcoming about beating the shit out of him -"

"Don't worry, we would be too," Glynda promised her, looking at her crop in her hand. "I for one would love to fight him. Emmett actually will with no questions asked. When he gets back to Atlas, I would ask him or Emmeline."

"Oh I will," Elizabeth said, her voice dark. "Because Jacques...I cannot believe that he has sunk this low!"

"It's not that surprising, Eliza," Tai pointed out and she looked at him in surprise. "If only because we're talking about Jacques Gelè of all people."

"Let's see how far we've come..." Elizabeth muttered before shaking her head and sighing. I just don't know what to say, it's a mess."

"I agree," Tai said and she sighed again. "But it's going to be alright."

"Really?" Elizabeth asked, raising an eyebrow. "Because, yes, I promised him that this investigation, this trial, wasn't going away but -"

"But we have more on him than he has on you, or more accurately could turn on you," James said and she closed her eyes for a moment before nodding. "Such as the fact that we may be able to prove, with hospital records anyways, that he coerced Nicolas into signing the company over to him."

"We damn better," Elizabeth said bitterly. "Because that man needs to be handed his comeuppance sooner rather than later. They all do."


	62. Reflecting to Move Onward

**_April 23rd_**

**_Branwen Territory_**

**_12:34 AM_**

_"Okay, Lily," Emmett said, looking at the ten-year-old who was practically giddy in excitement while Emmeline was next to him, biting her lip. Emmett gave her a look of concern before he shifted his gaze back to their younger daughter though he could still feel that something was seriously bothering her. "I know you really want to learn how to use your semblance, but first we need to unlock your aura. So...do you want me or mommy to help you access it?"_

_Lily looked to both of her parents, her deep brown eyes wide, before she looked to Emmett. "Can you do it?"_

_Emmett shifted to face his wife who was trying to steady herself though she was swaying slightly and avoiding his eyes. "Emmy? Is something -"_

_"Nothing," Emmeline said, tears forming in her eyes. "It's nothing. We'll all...talk later. Have fun you two, okay? I'm going to check on Eddie."_

_Even though she didn't leave the townhouse, Emmett, Lily, and Sam watched her in concern as she ran towards the door to the third floor and all but slammed it behind her. A part of him wanted to go after her and try and figure out what was wrong, but he stopped when he looked back to Lily. He decided to instead give Emmeline space, knowing that sometimes she got emotional when she was stressed. Chewing at the inside of his cheek for a moment before raking his fingers through his hair, Emmett bent down to his daughter's height and the ten-year-old only continued to smile all the more brightly. Her sister smirked, feeling superior for having unlocked her own aura at seven (even though this had been an accident after she rode down the stairs on a mattress following their move from an apartment to the townhouse and caused her to crash into the Christmas tree). Emmett pulled Lily into a hug before sitting down cross legged in front of her while she mirrored him. Emmett tried to push away his worry for Emmeline and their son though he couldn't. His thoughts always made his way back around to his wife. Sighing heavily, Emmett glanced at his sword next to Emmeline's rifle by the door before meeting his daughter's curious gaze._

_"Uh, daddy?" Lily began hesitantly. "Are you alright?"_

_"I'm fine," Emmett told her, not wanting to upset her with his concern for her mother. "Okay, so Sam and you know how we have psychic abilities, right?"_

_Lily nodded slowly, a little confused and sharing an odd look with Sam._

_"Well, you have visions," Lily said. "And I pick up imprints of memory on people's things while Sam can feel people's energies."_

_"Exactly," Emmett said, smiling slightly and she began to bounce a little in place again. "And you know how mommy and I have access to our auras and semblances, right?"_

_Lily smiled and began to speak excitedly. "Well, your aura is silver and mommy's is pale pink, although I'm not sure what mommy's semblance is! I've never seen her do it…but...that'd be pretty cool! I wonder if she uses it to get those idiots on the council to shut up?"_

_"Alright, first things first," Emmett began, putting his hands up in mock surrender. "One, for god's sake, you and Sam shouldn't repeat the things I say about the council because I know that you've both heard me call the council 'a bunch of idiots' to your mother before. Second, do you know what your semblance is?"_

_"Yeah," Sam said, excited that she knew. "It's glyphs like you, aunt Willow, and Winter have because I'm a Schnee! I...uh…" Rubbing her arm in embarrassment, Sam blinked a few times before going on. "I mean, I'm a Ciel-Schnee!"_

_"That's right," Emmett said, ruffling her hair. "You're both my daughters, and you're also your mothers'. So… in order to actually have access to your semblance you need to unlock your aura because your aura is what drives your semblance. Basically, your semblance will be the same as mine, but your aura color won't be the same as mine or your mother's, necessarily, because your aura represents you and when it's activated it emits a faint glow around you. It protects you...but only so much. And it's important if you want to join the Atlas Military like mommy or if you want to be a huntress like me."_

_"Or me," Sam put in with a sing-song voice. "I'm going to be a huntress!"_

_Lily stuck out her tongue. "You've got six more years!"_

_"And you've got seven!" Sam sassed back._

_"Girls," Emmett said sharply, sending them both a pointed look. "Please no fighting, right now."_

_"So…" Lily said, tilting her head slight. "How do we do that? Unlock it, you know?"_

_Emmett laughed. "You know?"_

_Lily smirked. "What?"_

_"Just close your eyes," Emmett told her, standing up as she remained seated on the ground and none of them noticed the door to the third floor opening slightly as Emmeline watched with tears in her eyes. "Concentrate on being stable and relaxed and I should be able to do this fairly quickly. Hopefully."_

_Lily nodded faintly and closed her eyes as he had said and thought about the butterflies thry had seen earlier in the week in that small town just outside of the City Of Vale where the Ironwood-Goodwitch's lived and how graceful they had been. Her thoughts slowly wandered to the time they had spent climbing over fences with some of Caitlin and Ivy's friends and the fun it had been to mess with Jake, who ended up getting his 'revenge' by pushing Ivy into the pool. Then it had led to Ivy tackling her little brother and punching him in the face while Sam and Caitlin had started bouncing on the trampoline - giggling as they bounced each other and their friends before laying under the sunset on the bouncy surface. Feeling a sudden chill that reminded her of water running down her body, Lily opened her eyes and saw Emmett sitting on the edge of the couch with his scroll in hand. When she looked down, she saw color that was rippling over her._

_"Whoa…" Lily said, lifting her arm as the color continued to ripple over her. "Wicked…"_

_"Hmm…" Emmett said, looking up before smiling. "See, you did it."_

_"No," Lily insisted. "You did. You said -"_

_"I pushed you towards it and made it easier because you've been trying for months," Emmett told her and she stared at him, not understanding. "You just need a little bit of a push, but you did that on your own. That was your power, not mine."_

_"Oh…" Lily said as the color faded into her. "Okay…"_

_"Something on your mind, Sam?" Emmett asked, glancing to his older daughter, who was sitting next to her sister, looking rather pitiful. Sliding down and leaning against the couch while they turned to face him, he sighed. "You just seemed a little lost in thought, that's all."_

_"I was fine," Sam said though she knew she had been pushing back something that one of the girls in her classes had said the previous day. "I just don't like being in year five, that's all."_

_Emmett looked almost amused. "Because Caity and Ivy are year sixes?"_

_Sam shook her head and Emmett's heart sunk, knowing that whatever she could say wasn't going to be good._

_"No," Sam said weakly, and Lysithea eyed her sister. "Girls are mean."_

_"What do you mean by that?" Emmett asked her gently and she hesitated. "Sam, you, Lily, and your baby brother don't...or in his case, won't…have to ever be afraid to tell me or mommy anything. We'll love you no matter what."_

_Tears rising in her eyes, Sam sniffled. "One of the girls in my classes says that since you and mommy fight so much that you two are going to get divorced."_

_Emmett stared at her in shock before shaking his head. "No, absolutely not. That's not going to happen."_

_Lily swallowed hard. "Are you sure?"_

_Emmett nodded. "Look, even though Emmy and I fight, I love her so much and I can't bear the thought of losing her and I hate watching her suffer. Your mother and I are not getting divorced, ever, okay? I promise."_

_"Mommy's really strong," Lily said, looking at Emmett with her eyes drifting into her thoughts. "I mean, she's General Ciel."_

_"She's even stronger than you know," Emmett told them, shaking his head when they looked at him as if they were about to inquire as to what that meant. "No, not now. Maybe when you're older, okay? There's just some things you're not ready to hear."_

_Sam nodded, biting her lip as she continued to fight back tears._

_"Was I…" Sam began quietly, feeling awkward for even asking the question and also being scared by it. "Was I a mistake?"_

_"Hell no!" Emmett exclaimed in horror at the thought. "Samie, what the fuck could have even put that idea in your head?"_

_Sam said nothing and merely stared at her hands while Lily awkwardly embraced her sister._

_"It was Jacques…" Lily told him, having overheard his argument with Emmett the previous day with her sister. "He was shouting at you and he said that...that...that Sam and I were a...mis..mis..mistake…"_

_"You heard that?" Emmett asked, incredulous but also feeling guilty. "Oh, girls, I'm sorry, That wasn't something I would have wanted you to hear because Jacques is a...a dick. Don't repeat that word, by the way, or at least not in front of your classmates. I'd really rather not have to defend the two of you because you both said something stupid."_

_From where she was listening by the door, Emmeline found herself wanting to cry again although her girls' next question only hurt more. Not because they were convinced they were what they were asking, but the fact that they were asking it to begin with. It was Emmett's response, though, that led to her crying again. His love for her was so obvious and she wanted nothing more than to curl into his arms and for him to hold her and kiss her, reminding her of the fact even more without having to directly spell it out. Some of her favorite moments were the ones in which it was just the two of them and, glancing at and fiddling with her wedding ring, Emmeline only felt that more so. Truth be told, she was still at odds with herself more often than not._

_"So we weren't a mistake?" Sam asked quietly._

_"Oh god no. Of course you weren't a mistake," Emmett shook his head and. "Look, the truth is that Emmy and I hadn't expected her to get pregnant with you or Lily but we will never consider you two a mistake. I love your mother more than anything else and...okay so actually I love you two, your brother, and your mother more than anything else because y'all are my kids and she's my wife. We were scared, and we weren't sure we'd be good enough but we've loved all three of you from the start. Okay? You weren't expected, but you're never going to be considered a mistake, not to us. Jacques is an ass, he really is."_

_"Oh…" Sam said, listening intently._

_Lily smiled. "You know how mommy knows about our powers?"_

_Emmett nodded. "Yeah, why?"_

_Lily smirked. "When did you tell her about them?"_

_"You're not going to believe me," Emmett told them with a chuckle. "I told her the night we got engaged because she asked me. She had had a rough day with the council, and she was stressed with work. She was scared...and I blame myself for that because she had figured out that I hadn't been joking about being a psychic. I felt guilty about not telling her, so I explained my visions to her before…"_

_"Before what?" Sam asked, her head bobbing._

_Phrasing his thoughts carefully, forcing himself to remember that his daughters were only ten and eleven, Emmett sighed. "Before we got married and had you two and your brother. You know, one of the things that scared me most when you two were born was the thought of you kids being psychics and me not being able to help you with it."_

_"But you do help me with it," Lily pointed out and Emmett smiled weakly at her child simplicity. "I mean, you were the one that explained it!"_

_"I was still scared," Emmett told her. "And that probably had something to do with the fact that, a, I had never had a kid before and, b, didn't want to screw things up."_

_"Okay," Sam said, satisfied by the answer. "So then what?"_

_"Nothing," Lily said with a grin. "Mommy's awesome."_

_"I agree," Emmett said, kissing her forehead affectionately before ruffling her hair. "Girls, I'm going to go see if she's alright, okay? I just...you know how she gets sometimes."_

_"Yeah…" Sam said, hating it when her mother would start to cry or talk badly about herself. "I hope she and Eddie are okay…"_

_"Me too," Emmett said, heading towards the door to the third floor. "Just don't break anything, okay?"_

_"Okay," Sam said, laying herself out on the floor and staring at the ceiling. _

_Lily sighed. "Can I talk to mommy later?"_

_Emmett hesitated, but nodded. "If she's feeling better, then sure. Just...above everything else, remember that Emmy and I love the three of you more than anything."_

_Sam sat up briefly to nod before she half collapsed onto her back again._

_"Okay," She said again while Lily began to look for a movie to shove into the DVD player._

_Heading up the stairs and closing the door to the third floor, Emmett tried to steady himself because he wasn't quite sure what kind of mood Emmeline was going to be in. Hesitating on the landing after he closed the door, Emmett briefly considered giving her more time and playing a game of Twister with Sam and Lily but instead shook himself off and began to head up the stairs. Though he was moving slowly, he couldn't help but feel almost as if he was running though he passed that off to nerves because, more than once, he had accidently made things worse by bothering her when she was only wanting to be alone. At the same time, he had also learnt that it was best to not leave her alone for too long when she was upset because, after enough time passed, she would begin to grow irrationally self-loathing and those were the some of the worst moments for both of them. He glanced into his son's room and breathed a short sigh of relief when he saw his baby boy was soundly asleep. Then, biting his lip and stopping just before he placed a handle on the knob only to realize it was locked, Emmett hesitated before forcing himself to shake the door just a little before he began to speak as gently as could manage._

_"Emmy?" Emmett asked through the door, tensing when he heard her sobs. Sighing heavily, he tried again. "Emmy, look, I love you and normally I would leave you alone but...Emmy, I know that you get self deprecative and I...I just want to make sure you're alright. Please open the door so I don't have to use a glyph…"_

_Several moments passed in silence before she slowly unlocked the door and stared at him while he pulled her in tightly and let her sob into him as he closed the door and sat down on their bed with her in his arms. "Emmy…" Emmett murmured as comfortingly as possible while stroking her long, thick, dark hair. "Emmy, what's wrong?"_

_"Why does she hate me?" Emmeline asked him, her voice barely audible. "I just...I know that I've been strict with her on some things, but it's only been to keep her and Sam safe from Cinder and all of them…and... and I don't know why she loves you more than me!"_

_Emmett stared at her before he caressed her cheek with his thumb. "Emmy, they don't love you less than me. They adore you, okay? After I unlocked Lily's aura...well all she and Sam wanted to do was talk about you. They love you so much, they admire you, and -"_

_"But Lily's always having you help her with things!" Emmeline protested through her tears and Emmett sighed, realizing that this wasn't what she was really upset about. "It's almost as if -"_

_"Emmy, I don't know if you heard anything I told them...but I meant everything I said," Emmett let his pale blue eyes linger on her deep brown ones before he kissed her passionately and held her head with one hand and his other rested on her back. "Emmy, I told them that even though we fight that I love you and that I know you love me and I also told her that I love all of you more than anything else. Okay? You're the most important people in my life and -"_

Emmett Schnee awoke suddenly, a little upset and a little afraid. When he was more conscious, albeit only a little, he remembered where they were and was almost annoyed by it. He could hear rain beating down outside, and it smacked down against the heavy barriers above them. Emmett had never been more annoyed to be separated from the luxury of the kingdom of Atlas, but he was relieved just feeling his wife curled up tightly beside him, calmly asleep. For the life of him he couldn't understand why he had dreamed of the past but he then realized what Raven had kept berating him with since they had arrived. For a moment, he was paralyzed in fear that Raven could have possibly been right, only being drawn away from his thoughts by Emmeline suddenly shivering in the cold spring night.

"What's going on?" She murmured groggily.

"Nothing, darling," Emmett said, gently pulling another blanket over her. "You seem cold."

"Just a little," She sighed when he kissed her forehead. "Emmett, what's wrong?"

"I'm just mad at you-know-who," Emmett said irritably.

"For what she said?" Emmeline quietly suggested. "Damn, Emmett, I wouldn't put up with it…but we don't really have a choice right now. Not if we have to strike an alliance with them."

"Yeah, yeah," He muttered, still bitter with Raven. "Do you think she'll cave if we tell her that James intends to blast off all their hiding places anyways?"

Emmeline started laughing softly. "Emmett! Really, you want to go the route of 'fuck it'? I don't think that's conducive to what we're trying to do here."

"Fine, we can wait," Emmett said, holding her close and gently rubbing her back. "Sorry, honey, it's okay. I'll let you handle it. I guess I'm just…"

"It's okay to be upset," She said, curling into him. "Let's just hope we'll get some decent sleep…of what's left tonight, at any rate…"

Emmett chuckled despite himself. "Fair enough, Emmy, fair enough."


	63. A Fine Line (Between War and Peace)

**_May 6th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_6:23 PM_**

"Are we ready?" Watts asked, coming into the room as Leonardo looked up from his desk, turning away after a brief look. Walking into the small room off of the headmaster's office, the seer grimm remained ominously in place, even as Leonardo was pushed towards the creature. "After you."

Stuttering, he looked into the grimm. "Your Grace..." He said weakly, struggling to hide his trepidation or his desire to leave what they had tied him into. "Are...you there?"

"Hello, Leonardo," Salem said as she came into view through the seer with Cinder by her side in her domain. "Do you have something to report?"

"Of course, ma'am," Leonardo replied, stuttering still. "I would not waste your time, if not."

"I'm still just so fascinated by this creature," Watts commented, smirking at Cinder as he tapped at the grimm. "Cinder, dear, are we coming through? Can you see us clearly? Well...as clearly as you can with that single eye of yours…"

Though her voice was not fully recovered, it was normal enough for her to reply in annoyance at the man's insinuation.

"Shut...up." She snapped. "Bitch."

"Oh goody," Watts stated, his tone dripping in sarcasm. "You've recovered."

"Your report," Salem said, directing them back to Leonardo Lionheart. "What is it?"

Lionheart stuttered once more, unsure of if what he was doing was right. "I have...I've found the Spring Maiden."

"Is that so?" Salem questioned, raising an eyebrow before shifting to Watts. "Well done. Arthur, had I known how useful you'd be in expediting this process, I would've sent you long, long ago."

"As much as I'd love to take credit, ma'am, I can't say that either of us are to thank for this development." Watts told her with a slight smirk. "I guess you could say, a little birdie told us."

"Explain," Salem demanded, her eyes narrowing.

"You see, ma'am," Watts began slowly. "Qrow Branwen arrived at Haven Academy earlier today. I assume he's been in the city for a while but, from what we heard him saying to those…teenagers I expected him to be with. He believes Spring has taken residence with his sister's tribe."

Cinder leaned forward. "Is...the girl...with him?"

"Yes," Watts replied irritably. "Miss Rose was in attendance."

"And you know of the tribe's location?" Salem asked him sharply, glancing to Leonardo.

"Yes ma'am!" Lionheart exclaimed, speaking quickly. "But you have to hurry! Qrow is already at odds with my -"

Glaring at him focusing her concentration in annoyance, the tentacles of the seer grimm began to choke Lionheart as Salem spoke.

"Leonardo, do you remember the first time we met?" She murmured, her voice almost sensual. "I remember. I remember your fear. But, since that day, you've been extraordinarily brave. I won't forget all that you've done for me. Do not forget everything I can do to you."

Forcing the one of the points on a tentacle of the grimm close to Leonardo Lionheart's face, Salem forced it to draw back before gesturing for it to release the stranglehold that it had on the man who collapsed on the ground, coughing and struggling for breath. Speaking once again, she turned to Cinder first.

"Cinder, you and your team will meet with Doctor Watts, and together, convince Raven Branwen that the survival of her people depends on her cooperation," Salem laughed. "Provided,of course, we can in fact trace their locations down. Be patient, we may very well need a few weeks."

"Should she really go?" Watts said disdainfully. "Considering that she couldn't even kill her own brother?"

Salem sent him a dark look. "She should. I believe Emmett, Emmeline, Lysithea, and Samara Ciel-Schnee are there along with that blonde, Ozpin's daughter, and that Atlesian kid. If they are still there when you arrive in June, kill Lysithea, Samara, and Emmett, bring General Ciel and the others to me, and make sure that Raven doesn't put up a fight."

Cinder flinched despite herself and, for once, the Queen did notice it.

"Once you have Spring under control, escort her to the Relic, and contact Hazel," Salem continued. "We promised the White Fang the chance to destroy Haven Academy as they did BEacon, and they'll have it once we have what we need."

"Understood," Watts said.

"Not you, Arthur," Salem told him irritably. "Tyrian's in need of a new tail."

Watts rolled his eyes. "What happened to his old one?"

"Guess," Cinder said darkly.

"The silver eyed girl?" Seeing her narrow her eyes at him sternly and grunting in acknowledgment, Watts groaned. "It will be done."

"Good," Salem said as the she and Cinder disappeared from the seer grimm though they heard the last remark Watts made to Leonardo.

"Seems Qrow was right, Lionheart," He said acidly. "The students aren't pushovers."

Looking to Salem unhappily as the seer was dismissed, Cinder looked to Salem who spoke. "You're free to speak your mind."

"I don't understand," Cinder said, irritable. "Working with bandits? Keeping Ruby alive? Killing Lysithea and Samara? What's the point? We're strong enough to take what we want by force and I really don't think that Samara or Lysithea Ciel-Schnee can do anything! They're both children! Emmett and the others I understand dealing with, but them?"

"They are both just another psychic born into Ozpin's futile cause," Salem told her and she bit her lip unhappily. "And never underestimate the usefulness of others. Take Leonardo, for one. He was one of Ozpin's most trusted...and yet now…" Salem laughed briefly before returning to seriousness. "I understand that we have yet to deal with Glynda Goodwitch, but you will have the power I promised you when the time is right."

"I am going to deal with her soon," Cinder said angrily. "I'll deal with her at Beacon en route to Haven."

"I know you will," Salem said with a smile, gently patting her cheek. "But remember that even the meager power you have comes with a high cost. If Ruby Rose has learned to harness her gift, then you must take care to protect yours. There's only so much I can do to aid you." As Cinder stood up and began to exit the room with a bow to the Queen, Salem stopped her with her smile slipping away. "And Cinder, before you go, inform Tyrian that I wish to have a word with him."

Smiling and nodding in acknowledgement, Cinder left the room though what Salem didn't know was that she was silently vowing to protect Sam and Lysithea. Emmett, Emmeline, and the others could burn in hell for all she cared, but the two Ciel-Schnee girls meant enough to her to drive her to protect her. Even though she knew it was a risk. Although she was terrified about what Salem could do to her, she was more concerned about them. It was an odd feeling to her, but she felt driven to protect them still. The one question she had for herself, though, was if she would be able to die for them, if she could die to protect them. That was something that she was unsure about.

* * *

**_May 10th_**

**_Washington City_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:57 PM_**

"Is Annie okay?" Oliver asked almost as soon as his mother stepped back into the house. She had finally gone back to work, and, while everyone knew how draining that was on her, all of their nerves were raised. "Did you hear from her?"

"Yes," Cristal said shortly, setting down her computer bag. "I got a few text messages from her, actually. Everyone's alright, but they're in Mistral and handling a delicate situation there."

"Delicate situation?" Carleigh looked up from the painting she had been working on. "Ooo…can we hear all about it, mommy?"

"No," Cristal sharply replied. "That would be classified."

"Damn it…" Carleigh muttered, scowling at her father when he entered the room himself and tightly embraced her mother. "Everything's fucking classified in Atlas."

Cristal raised an eyebrow. "What was that?"

"Nothing," Carleigh said, still scowling at her parents. "I just like knowing things."

"Me too!" Oliver put in. "Nathan does too! We can –"

"I said no," Cristal sent them both a pointed look. "Neither of you are qualified to have access to classified information, and –"

"Yeah, yeah," Carleigh swore under her breath. "Ugh."

"How come we can't ever do anything exciting?" Oliver protested, sharing a look with his sister. "Come on, we're not babies anymore!"

Ozpin glanced to Cristal. "Some of it does have to do with things they already know," He gently reminded her. "Don't they have a right to know some of it?"

Cristal sighed. "Oz…"

"Nathan!" Carleigh shrilly yelled. "Get in here! Mommy lost an argument and now she has to tell us all about –"

"No," Cristal said sharply. "We are not going to handle this like –"

"It's fine, Chrissy," Ozpin said, setting a hand lightly to her shoulder. "Besides, I'm sure they'll figure it out sooner rather than later."

"Guaranteed," Oliver said, shrugging. "We're experts at eavesdropping."

Cristal tiredly adjusted her glasses. "That doesn't surprise me," She admitted. "It doesn't make it good, but it isn't surprising either."

"What isn't surprising?" Nathan asked, coming into the room and then bouncing onto the couch in between his brother and sister.

Cristal was silent for a moment, unsure of how or if she wanted to respond, and then shook her head.

"Annie and her teammates are in Mistral with Emmeline and Emmett, handling the Branwen tribe," She finally said, looking rather tense – something that did not abate even when Ozpin reassuringly squeezed her hand. "Because, since Beacon fell, things have been…precarious, regarding Salem, and we need whatever allies we can have right now."

Carleigh raised an eyebrow. "Doesn't Raven Branwen belong in the loony bin?"

"She's not crazy, if that's what you're suggesting," Cristal said pointedly. "But she does have a worldview that your father and I…and, honestly, most of the group disagree with."

"Fun," Oliver said dryly. "We can see grownups fight like kids."

Ozpin couldn't help but laugh, even when Cristal turned to him in surprise.

"No one is going to be fighting," He told them. "Not to the point of tearing out hair, anyways."

Cristal snorted. "I wouldn't mind ripping out a chunk of Varna's hair, given what she's trying to pull."

"Varna's a bitch," Nathan remarked. "Isn't she the lady that kills people and has all of Vacuo under thumb?"

Ozpin sighed. "That is, unfortunately, rather accurate."

"Ooo, fun," Carleigh said, far too excitedly. "Do you think Emmett and her can beat each other up? Who would win in a fight: him or her?"

"Emmett," Ozpin told her with finality, eliciting a faint smile from his wife. "He can be a surprisingly good fighter when pressed. I think he just wants people to assume he's incapable."

Cristal rolled her eyes. "Helplessness has always been his game, even since we were kids. He used to act helpless so girls would feel bad for him in school and do things for him. It was annoying, ridiculous, and hilarious."

Ozpin smirked. "I believe that."

"Sounds like Emmett," Carleigh said nonchalantly. "He's kind of a weirdo."

"Umm, he's always been a weirdo," Nathan countered. "He told me that he got a fur coat because he eventually won a bet against aunt Emmeline."

"Also true," Cristal noted.

"Awesome!" Oliver exclaimed, smacking his hand against his brother's.

"Hell yeah!" Carleigh agreed, smacking her both of her brothers upside the head. "Now, let's see what kind of mischief we can get into with what we got out of mommy and daddy…"

* * *

**_May 15th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:34 PM_**

"This is not the news I would like to have to deliver to our people," President Ronnie Ciel said, standing almost emotionlessly before the crowd in the press room of the presidential manor. "But, I'm afraid, I have been left with no choice."

He paused for a moment, hearing the murmurs that were beginning to rise amongst the reporters and citizens in the crowd.

"As many of you well know, the kingdom of Atlas has had closed borders since the first of January," Ronnie said, sighing heavily. "That is not set to change anytime soon. Ultimately, we have no choice but to remain under careful balance. I recognize that, since the end of the last presidency at the culmination of 2020, the kingdom is more polarized than ever, but we cannot take risks right now. Security and domestic issues are of the greatest concern, hence the stance of the state department and the security council. Bearing that in mind, I would like to invite the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Morell, to speak."

A heavy few minutes passed in silence. Elizabeth stood up calmly from in the back of the press room, a small file tucked under her arm, with all eyes turning to her. Ronnie stepped aside while she stepped forward. The clicking of her heels was almost foreboding, and everyone seemed afraid of what was to come. It was rare that a president invite the chair of the security council to speak and, the few times it had happened before, it was rarely good. More often than not, it was a sign of something bad to come, like when the parking lot outside of the CIA buildings throughout the kingdom were full on a Sunday or Saturday. Everyone seemed to be holding their breath in anticipation, and this feeling did not fade when Elizabeth set the file down on the podium, nodded shortly to Ronnie, who was standing beside her, and took in a deep breath to calm herself before she addressed the people in the room and the rest of the kingdom and the world, via the Amity Communications Satellite. They had launched it months ahead of schedule, and it had been on the prompting of Elizabeth Morell, Karissa Mar, and Blake Adel. The fact that no one knew and had simply assumed that communications had been fully restored and many didn't even know that they had ever been down.

"I understand that many people must have questions about why the State Department has so heavily restricted travel to Vacuo, or why the Department of Fiscal Affairs and Corporate Restriction has placed an embargo on dust worldwide when this mainly affects somewhere we cannot travel," Elizabeth said, her voice calm but her breathing quick and shallow. "And I recognize this…however, we finally have concrete evidence of the involvement of the Vacuoian prime minister – Rosalinde Varna – in the Fall of Beacon. I do not say this lightly, and, while I cannot give details because such evidence is vital to national security, the DOJ has subpoenaed documents from Varna as a result."

Elizabeth paused and the room went into an uproar of fear.

"I will say, however," Elizabeth went on, drawing the attention back to her and Ronnie. "That we are secure for the time being. I am justifying our actions, not suggesting we take positive action. Furthermore –"

"That's rubbish!" A small lamb faunus – Fiona Thyme – yelled from the back, standing up and immediately being pulled back by security. "You're trying to squeeze Mantle and the rest of the midwest dry! Robyn Hill has been saying that for years! You accumulate wealth and power, claiming to work for all of us yet, in our hour of need, you forget! You all don't care! President Ciel isn't even a true member of FreeAtlas, he's an ex-conservative that ousted our god-awful previous –"

"Ma'am," Elizabeth said calmly, her voice strained while the guards stopped. "I recognize your frustration, but this is what is necessary and proper –"

"Necessary and proper?" Fiona shook her head as the guards released her and she started to walk out. "If that were true, then maybe the capital would try and help the whole kingdom…rather than forget about everything except the eastern and western coasts…if you have any honor...you'll hear Robyn out."

The doors slammed behind her and, no matter what Elizabeth or Ronnie could say after, there was no change. Too much was already set in motion, already questioned, and it seemed that everything they had always known had changed without reprieve.

* * *

**_May 19th_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:45 PM_**

As soon as the ship landed in the center of the still damaged courtyard of Beacon Academy, Glynda hesitantly walked off and took in the surroundings. It was almost nine in the evening and the rain from the night before was still glinting slightly in the lights from the aircraft. Several soldiers guarded the ship on both the inside of it and the outside and, just as she wasn't looking and a creep took advantage of her spacing to attack, James shot down the grimm charging at her as he followed after her. Having orders to stand by and defend the aircraft, the soldiers stayed though James went with Glynda as she continued to look through what was left of Beacon. Though the majority of the CCTS tower had been repaired and was stable once more, the monstrous grimm that Ruby had frozen on top of it was still there even though the Academy had fallen so many months before. The grimm population had, since the fall, dropped considerably though there were still many roaming around and there was a nevermore circling the tower until it began flying off in the direction of Mountain Glenn.

Glancing at her scroll, Glynda pushed against one of the main buildings of the Academy that was mostly repaired and, after a moment's hesitation, began to walk inside. Attempting to switch on the lights, she sighed in relief that that had also been repaired and continued to wander through the familiar corridors with James never far from her. It wasn't until she reached the amphitheater that she stopped and closed her eyes for the briefest of moments before forcing herself to go in. Seeing the door to her office at the other end of the hall, Glynda bit back tears at the thought of what Beacon had become and though she stopped upon hearing voices at that end of the still relatively darkened hall. Her crop in hand, Glynda pushed up her glasses and James steadied his gun in hand though the second she reached the end and manipulated the light to fill the entire amphitheater, she found herself shocked rather than troubled by what she and James saw.

Sitting on top of an excessively large stack of books, books that she herself recognized as having been from her personal library in her office, was Bartholomew Oobleck, sipping from his thermos and reading what appeared to be a romance novel. Focusing on the book in his hand, Glynda took in a sharp breath and also turned a little pink when she realized that he was reading one of the sexier stories that pertained to romance and the supernatural. Unable to react, she simply stared for a moment while James wrapped an arm her and put his revolver away though she glared when he looked up, saw her, closed the book after marking his page, and jumped down from the stack of books with his thermos in hand, looking rather pleased with himself.

"Very good to see you again, Glynda," Oobleck said as quickly as he usually did. "Pete should be back soon but I think he is currently in the city picking up more stories in this series. _Lucid Dreams_ really is an excellent series, and I must say you have excellent taste."

"If I go in there," Glynda said, gesturing to the door of her office with her crop. "Am I going to like what I see or am I going to be angry with someone?"

Oobleck hesitated before smiling. "Change is always a positive factor in life! For example, I used those papers that -"

"You did what?" Glynda demanded, crossing her arms with her crop still in hand. "Barty, I swear to -"

"Well…" Oobleck began as her eyes narrowed further. "They were in a messy stack in one of the corners and Pete and I used them for fire before we managed to get the power back before the electricians even -"

"I needed to grade those!" Glynda snapped, exasperated more than anything. "I know that we were set to go back into session for three weeks from now, and I know that's changed to three months -"

"Glynda, it's not really that big of a deal," Oobleck told her Port came in with several shopping bags on his arms. "Pete, do you agree with me that it's fine that we burned papers?"

Port looked up at him in surprise before noticing Glynda and James. "Well...uh...what does Glynda have to say about it?"

"That has to be some sort of joke," Glynda said as turned to face him. "Please tell me that you're joking and that I can wake from this hellish nightmare soon."

"I'm afraid you're not going to get that luxury," Port told her, setting down the bags by the stack of books. "Did Barty tell you about how great your taste in literature is?"

"Are you kidding me?" She snapped again, staring at both of them in shock. "I was intending to grade those and those also included paper records for -"

"Advanced First, Second, Third, and Fourth Year teams," Port finished. "We saved those, if you want them."

"Of course I want them," She replied, tilting her head towards her office. "So where exactly did you put them?"

"I'll fetch them!" Oobleck declared, dashing into her office and slamming the door quickly behind him to prevent her from seeing inside of it.

Port sighed, leaning against the wall. "I didn't realize you were going to be coming back to Beacon."

"It's not as if I have much of a choice," Glynda said as James gave her a comforting squeeze. "I...I have to do something. I know I've been directing for months since I've been in Atlas and...and I'm going to end up continuing to do so but...but there are other things I have to keep in mind right now too."

"You know, I heard Qrow was in Mistral," Port said and she looked at him sharply. "No, really. Supposedly Team RWBY is as well."

"I know Emmett and Emmeline are in Mistral with Team SAML right now," Glynda told him, her nerves with regard to what could happen to him and the others coming back. "But I haven't heard anything from him since -"

"Emmett Schnee?" Port asked for confirmation and she and James both nodded. "He actually sent a message here the other day, seemed to think you might be here."

"What?" James said, exchanging a look with Glynda before pulling her tightly into him. "Are he and Emmeline alright? Or Team SAML?"

"He said they were heading for the City of Mistral," Port informed them pulling out the note from one of the stacks. "I was surprised that it was handwritten, but Winter Schnee delivered it here having personally received it from Emmett in the middle of nowhere a few days ago. Apparently, he had asked her to bring it to Beacon for you."

Looking over the note, Glynda's eyes went wide as she and James read what Emmett had written.

_Glynda ~_

_Heading to the City of Mistral soon to deal with the council and whatnot. Emmy and I are stopping with Yang and Team SAML to offer a deal between Atlas and the Branwen tribe…although whether or not they'll agree is questionable. Honestly, I'm still nervous about having Team SAML and Yang alongside us in the shady part of Mistral but we made our choice. Like I said, we're currently...dealing with, I suppose, the Branwen Tribe. Raven's said some maddening things but I'll tell you about them later, and she's been...odd. We found Weiss too - who is fine - and it was a relief that I was able to meet up with Winter to send this. Anyway, we're all fine and I promise I'd make sure you and James would know if there was any trouble. Emmy or I will send you a message and, hopefully, see you and James soon._

_Love,_

_Emmett Arthur Schnee_

Pocketing the note, Glynda sighed and leaned into James before looking at Oobleck when he came back. "Do either of you know if it's safe to go up to Beacon Tower?"

Port and Oobleck exchanged a look before Oobleck sighed. "It's perfectly safe...but might I ask -"

"She is the headmistress," Port pointed out to him. "She has every right."

"That is correct," Glynda told him, her voice shaking. "I...I...I'll be back later."

"Glynda -" James began as she began walking towards the door, her arms tightly crossed and her crop clutched to her chest.

"I...I…" Glynda began as she turned around to face him as he pulled her into her. "James, I…"

"I love you," James promised her, kissing her gently. "And no matter what happens, it will be alright."

"I love you too," Glynda murmured, wrapping her arms around him and pulling out her scroll to begin to login in her clearance to enter the tower.

* * *

**_May 24th_**

**_Government Offices Of The Atlesian Council_**

**_Department Of Criminal, Civil, And Corporate Prosecution_**

**_City Of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Security Level: High_**

**_Necessary Security Clearance: Mid-Range_**

**_Day One Of The Trial For Charges Pressed Against Jacques Schnee (nee Gelè)_**

**_11: 23 AM_**

Kiara Davis sighed as she sat in her office for the last few minutes of peace she had before she was required for the commencement of Jacques's trial, or, at least, the first day of it. She had a feeling that it was going to run long, but, as she forced herself to stand up despite feeling sick, this was her job. Her entire life had been devoted to criminal prosecution and investigation and accountability. It was all to be a bearer of justice, and, for all of her nerves, she was more than prepared for what she had to face. Still, when Elizabeth Morell entered the room, the sinking feeling returned to her. Feeling her heels pinch her toes for not the first time, Kiara swore under her breath before remembering, briefly, the words she and Ronnie had exchanged after Cinder's trial had finished years and years before. The memory was haunting, but it was true.

_"And I'm going to remind you that this is the woman that killed your father, almost got your sister, and had plans to kill you and your brother as well," Kiara said shortly. "Do you really think there's anything to be gained from speaking with someone that unreasonable?"_

_"Maybe not," Ronnie admitted. "But I'm going to regardless."_

_Kiara raised an eyebrow and then shook her head. "I suggest you do it soon and securely...and don't believe a damn word that she says."_

"Are you alright?" Elizabeth asked her as Kiara shut the file and picked it up. "You do understand that you didn't have to do this, right?"

"I know I didn't," Kiara told her irritably, drawing the file closer to her. "But I wanted to."

"Did you really?" Elizabeth sighed, trying not to upset her. "Or did the rest of the DLNLE, the DCCCP, and the DFAMA talk you into it, Davis?"

"No, they didn't talk into it," She told her, remembering how Leanne had even suggested that she not for the sake of her not being stressed. "It's just...sorry. The last time that I...that I was prosecuting a case this high profile was…"

"Cinder…" Elizabeth finished, recalling that day from over a decade prior. "And that was brutal."

"Her confession was so…" Kiara trailed off briefly as she grew angry towards the psychopathic woman. "She's nothing more or less than an evil -"

"I know," Elizabeth said, placing a hand on her shoulder. "Look, I know and -"

"You and the Ciels probably know better than anyone!" Kiara shook her head, gently prying Elizabeth's arm off of her as she headed towards the door. "I've got to go, but we can talk later -"

Tripping as one of her heels snapped, Kiara fell to the ground and began to curse as Elizabeth helped her up. Slipping off her flats, Elizabeth handed them to her. Kiara stared at her in surprise before glancing back to her heels on the floor while Elizabeth spoke.

"Take mine," She told her. "Seriously, no one wants you to break your ankles or something worse."

Kiara glanced back to her heels once more before nodding weakly. "Ronnie was right…"

"What about?" Elizabeth asked her, an eyebrow raised.

"Oh...uh…" Kiara sighed heavily and twisted her long, sleek ponytail between her fingers before letting it flow freely. "After...after Cinder's trial, after she was found guilty...Ronnie asked me for advice on how to handle speaking with Cinder and, when I was leaving, he told me to wear more comfortable shoes the next time I had a multiple day court proceeding."

"That's sounds about right," Elizabeth said, with a heavy sigh. "Well," She said, regaining her composure. "Good luck, and you can keep the shoes. I have others."

Before she could respond, Elizabeth was gone and Kiara closed her eyes for a moment before slipping on the grey flats and, with her file in hand, quickly locked her office. While she felt somewhat strange not being 5'7'' and rather her natural 5'3'', she had to admit that Elizabeth's flats were far more comfortable than her heels. Smoothing out her pencil skirt before entering the courtroom where Jacques and his lawyer were already waiting, Kiara forced her face to be neutral despite wanting to frown at him in distaste. Taking her seat with a few senior members of the DFACR, DLNLE, and DFAMA that had pressed the charges against the man in the first place, as well as a few of her fellow prosecutors, Kiara restrained herself from tapping her foot or glancing over at their opposition during the judge's opening lines. This was, of course, before she heard Corson's name after having watched Jacques being brought to the stand.

"John Corson Leonard, defense attorney for Jacques Louis Schnee, nee Gelè, will now give his opening statements."

Leonard had spent his career defending the highest of white-collar crime, and he had managed to get so many people off. His was formidable, Kiara knew, and it worried her. They had planned on Jacques having the best defense in the country, but even this set a bad omen before them.

"The Department Of Fiscal Affairs And Corporate Restriction, the Department Of Local And National Law Enforcement, and the Department Of Foreign Affairs And Military Action have brought forward multiple charges of business malpractice, money laundering, tax evasion, corruption, bribery, and inheritance fraud," Leonard said as if the words had a bad taste and Kiara bit her lip. She knew that, when charges of money laundering and tax evasion had been brought before, Jacques had gotten off. "I can say with absolute certainty that these charges are false, especially considering that these charges include...evidence that was supposedly leading back to the beginnings of my client's leadership of the Schnee Dust Company. If that were to be true, the council would have shut down the company years ago and it would have been dissipated into other conglomerates by the Department of Fiscal Affairs and Corporate Restriction."

A beat. No one in the room moved, let alone said anything.

"Kiara Melissa Davis," The judge said, nodding emotionless towards her as she stood up and began to walk forward. "The prosecution will now give her opening statements against the defendant and provide her rebuttal."

Kiara hesitated before she began clearly. "Mister Leonard, if I may," She said coolly. "Do you recall the seventeen members of the Department Of Financial Affairs And Corporate Restriction that were recently incarcerated for corruption in regards to being bribed to vote in favour of motions that supported or allowed the Schnee Dust Company to have a more favorable position in the markets?"

Leonard stared at her for a moment. "Objection," He said shortly. "Madame Davis is attempting to sway the jury."

"Unsustained," The judge said, shortly beating his gavel against the stand.

"Do you or do you not deny the previous allegation?" Kiara pressed and Leonard did not respond, allowing her to continue on in her statements.

"Over the last few months, many papers have come to light that have exposed a money trail leading to one of the largest gangs in Vacuo, as well as the Vacuoian prime minister, Rosalinde Varna," Kiara continued, her voice clipped. "These papers suggest that the defendant received money from these sours through the Valerian capital and the Mistrali capital as well. Furthermore, the Department of Financial Affairs and Corporate Restriction also managed to obtain new evidence that the Schnee Dust Company has been evading its taxes, neglected dangerous working conditions, and intentionally discriminated against the faunus. As for the issue of whether or not Jacques Schnee legitimately inherited the company, there has been increasing evidence that he coerced a dying, anesthetic Nicholas Schnee into altering his will. Not only do the staff who were there confirm that that occurred, but they also admitted to being paid to being paid a rather considerable sum of lien for their silence."

The room processed the information for an elongated moment before the judge spoke.

"Mister Leonard," He said shortly. "Your rebuttal."

"Thank you, your honor," Leonard stood up himself and staring at Kiara who only began to pull evidence from her file. "Madame Davis, that was well over twenty years ago. How, pray tell, would anyone recall such an event? Word of mouth is not enough to build a legitimate criminal case upon, as you well know."

"No, it is not," Kiara agreed to his shock as she pulled out several sheets of paper with the evidence she was describing on it. "But if you follow the money and where it came from, then you'll see that Jacques Schnee has been paying off seven different staff members of that hospital since that day for the last two decades and it has been undisclosed."

Leonard took the evidence from her and began to exam it.

"How was this evidence obtained, might I ask Madame Davis?" He eventually said. "What was your source?"

"Financial records," Kiara replied. "Financial records that were undisclosed but not entirely hidden. In fact, these were obtained directly from the Schnee Dust Company's own records by Investigator Leanne Tanner. When the probe into the Schnee Dust Company was enacted by the Department of Justice seven months ago, this was one of the classified materials that came of it though they were declassified in just the past fortnight."

Leonard stiffly handed the file back to her. "And you legally obtained this information when?"

"Three months ago," Kiara informed him. "In case you have forgotten, I have a -"

"Yes, yes, you have consistently renewed a maximum-security clearance," Leonard said. "But was doing so ethical? What you looked into; I mean?"

"Ethical?" Kiara raised an eyebrow. "Mister Leonard, I am afraid that is immaterial. Even so, I should question you with as to how looking into this particular subject was unethical when your client has coerced a man into altering his will, launders money, and allows for dangerous working conditions amongst other things. If that is ethical, then I should fear that anything is…for the right price, granted."


	64. Slight of the Hand

**_May 29th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:01 PM_**

"Ooo...she's such a cutie!" Genevieve Sieben squealed, having just been let in with Devin Katt and Grace Wile to see Ivy and her newborn daughter, Hope. "Hi, baby!"

"Oh, be careful," Grace scolded, pulling Genevieve back a little. "The girl's only like twelve hours old, don't scare the shit out of her so soon."

Ivy laughed weakly, holding her cooing daughter close to her.

"It's okay," She said, letting Hope wrap a tiny fist around her finger. "I think she likes the attention."

"Have your parents come by?" Devin asked, almost harshly. "You texted us around noon telling us that she'd been born fine around nine this morning. If they haven't -"

"I saw my mom," Ivy said, sighing. "My dad had to stay at Beacon to do some work but she came up briefly to see me and Hope...I think she's still trying to process having a granddaughter while she's still in her forties. Jake came with her...and he was excited, to say the least."

Devin relaxed considerably, his bright pink tail flicking less irritably.

"Her little horns are cute," He said with a smile. "And she's got hair like yours."

"She looks a lot like Ivy, huh," Grace agreed, tightly embracing her teammate. "Hello, Hope. How are you? You look cute."

The little girl stared at her, bright blue eyes wide in confusion while the huntress gently booped her nose. Hope started giggling, and Ivy smiled, relieved that her daughter was at least being calm around her closest friends. A fresh wave of sadness, however, washed over her when she remembered that she hadn't so much as gotten a text back from her sister when she had told her about her newborn niece and sent pictures. It seemed, as Ivy had feared her entire pregnancy, that her sister had let her own anger subsume her and wasn't going to show any sort of interest or affection any time soon. It was upsetting, at any rate, and Ivy wished things had played out differently. She knew she had fallen for Adam because she had always been endeared by the person he had been when they were teenagers. She had made the mistake of setting aside everything he had gone on to do, and, she feared, her sister was right. He was not misguided in the slightest: he knew exactly what he was doing.

"Has your sister stopped by?" Devin finally asked.

Ivy shook her head. "I haven't heard from her."

"That bitch," Devin spat, looking more angry than he ever had.

"She has her reasons," Grace countered, sending him a dark look. "Give her some credit, I mean, with everything that she's been through -"

The door opened suddenly, and nobody objected to the small, blonde, bespectacled woman entering. Much to her credit, Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch didn't just hover in the doorway and say nothing to her sister after seeing her niece. She did, however, look rather uncomfortable, knowing as well as everyone else in the room that she was a little more than unwelcome there. The disdainful look that Devin Katt was giving her said it all. She herself felt rather awkward. There was a lot of anger she still held towards her sister for ever being involved with the kind of person she had been, and some of it, if she were being completely honest, was a result of her own misgivings in the past. Bitterly, she pushed away the thought of her ex-boyfriend and reminded herself that he had, for one, been human and, for another, played her well and kept his cards hidden until he decided to threaten her life.

"Hi," She said, her faintly southern accent coming out in her high, clear voice. "I…" She trailed off, fidgeting with her purse, and struggled to meet her sister's gaze. "I thought I should...meet my niece."

"Which is funny," Devin Katt said dryly. "Coming from someone who hates the kid's father."

"Don't be a twit," Caitlin snapped. "I'm trying to do what's right -"

"You've had all day and you didn't even text her back!" Devin roared. "What the hell is wrong with you?"

Hope began to cry, causing Devin to jump back. He was startled by her reaction and stepped out of the room, albeit sending Ivy a sympathetic look as she tried to comfort her daughter.

"What a dick," Caitlin muttered.

"He's a dick?" Ivy said, her voice slightly hoarse as she began to nurse Hope. "That's rich, coming from a woman who castigated her own sister for almost a year...excepting, of course, your interrogating."

Caitlin flinched. "I'm still angry, don't get me wrong."

Ivy sighed. "And, yet, you're here."

"We'll...let the two of you talk," Grace said, dragging a rather reluctant Genevieve from the room.

A heavy silence befell the two sisters, and neither of them seemed particularly eager to break it.

"I don't know what to think or say," Caitlin finally said. "But I know we have a lot to talk about."

Ivy nodded shortly. "That we do…" She murmured.

* * *

**_June 1st_**

**_Branwen Territory_**

**_5:47 PM_**

"You have the Spring Maiden, don't you?" Emmett said darkly, watching Yang, his daughters, and niece and nephew leave Raven's tent after she had given them yet another lecture about Ozpin's morality. It was now only him and Emmeline alone with Raven, and the two of them were more than a little annoyed with the woman that they were trying to forge an alliance with.

"Well?" Emmeline finally exclaimed in exasperation. "Do you have anything you'd like to say for yourself?"

"You're clever, both of you," Raven said simply, setting down her sword and turning to smirk at them while Emmeline tried to restrain herself. "I mean, I figured as much but this only proving that to be true. Yes, I do have the Spring Maiden but I sure as hell won't be giving her to you and your cause. I want Atlas' protection…but I want it on my terms, not yours."

"You could always come back to the group," Emmett argued, crossing his arms. "Yeah, I get it, you have the tribe, but do you want to protect them from Salem or do you -"

"What do you honestly think about Ozpin, Emmett?" Raven asked, and he stared at her for a moment before sighing. "Well?"

Emmett hesitated but glared at her. "Look, Ozpin is flawed just like everyone else. But he's not her and he's my brother in law."

"And the lesser of two evils?" Raven suggested and she laughed when he only stared. "Sorry, but…"

"Raven, do you really get off to being a royal bitch?" Emmeline snapped and she rolled her eyes. "I think you have a tendency to assume that -"

"You should see your faces, really, it's hilarious," Raven said, laughing still. "But in all seriousness, I am curious as to your answer. Both of you."

"I told you," Emmett said, trying to keep himself even. "Ozpin at least wants to save people. He's not after power, he's trying to stop her from continuing to go after power. All Salem wants to do is to continue -"

"And after this, after she's gone assuming that ever happens," Raven countered with a glare. "Then what will Ozpin do?"

"I don't know," Emmett admitted. "But he has Chrissy, so -"

"So what?" Raven challenged, thinking briefly of Tai. "What's he going to do? Live and die like the rest of us? Or is he going to take Salem's place as our world's primary psychopath?"

"That's not Ozpin," Emmeline told her though she didn't want to defend Ozpin as a result of the things he had suggested over the years as solutions. "Okay, here's the thing: Ozpin's got issues, he's not above putting people in danger to continue his fight against Salem and he's known for being a -"

"Ozpin…" Raven shook her head. "Here's the thing: Ozpin takes people's lives when it suits him and he also forces people into a fight that they simply cannot win! How many times do I have to tell you that there is no beating Salem? I left because of my tribe, but even more so because I knew that there was no way I could win against her! That none of us are able to beat her!"

"You're not wrong about Oz, but we can beat Salem!" Emmett insisted, wanting to believe it was true so that it would also be true that they could defeat Cinder. "Ozpin's -"

"A manipulative bastard?" Raven suggested and Emmett and Emmeline stared in surprise even though they knew that, in many respects, she was right. "See, you only know the surface of the things Ozpin's wanted people to do. He's always wanted people that were close to him to become maidens because he could keep them under his thumb. That is why he let Glynda take on the powers, and that's why he suggested that your daughter take them on, that's why he suggested Caitlin take them on, and that's why he suggested Ivy take them on."

"How did you even know about that?" Emmeline demanded, glaring at her as she rolled her eyes and turned away from him. "Elizabeth didn't even know about that until -"

"Elizabeth Morell knows about all of this?" Raven screeched, gripping the edge of table and closing her eyes to try and calm herself. "Since when does -"

"Ozpin brought her into the group, Ronnie too," Emmett informed her, watching her as he kept his arms crossed. "Because he trusts her."

"Elizabeth is strong, she's a survivor, yes," Raven commented though she felt her bitterness rising. "I still know, though, at the same time, that she's not nearly as skilled as the others in the group. She can fire a gun, sure, but she can't hit her target when it counts."

"What does that mean?" Emmeline darkly asked her, confused though he knew that Elizabeth was still learning to fight from Tai who had been helping her for years. "That makes no sense whatsoever except for the fact that Elizabeth is not a huntress -"

"Not a huntress, exactly," Raven told him, trying to steady herself though the distraction from her point about Ozpin angered her and her hatred for the man was only rising in her. "Yes, Elizabeth Morell is an Atlesian political figure, not a huntress. She didn't start training until after she got involved with Tai and that's not the point! The problem is and always has been Ozpin!" Feeling her hands growing hot beneath her, Raven tried to stop it though it was no use. "And -"

"Raven, there is smoke rising from the table," Emmett dryly told her and she turned around angrily, fire treading out of her hands and her eyes flaring and they were also surrounded by the pale sparks of her maiden powers.

"So," Emmeline said, drawing out each word with a bitterness that even Raven could not surpass. "All this time bouncing around the question, and you're the Spring Maiden!"

Realizing what she was doing, Raven let her anger possess her and she threw a ball of fire at Emmett's head while he jumped out of the way, startled.

"Fuck you, Emmett!" She snapped. "Both of you! I...I -"

"You can't even deny that you're the Spring Maiden!" Emmett shouted, while Emmeline helped him get off of the ground to which he had fallen. "Since when have you been -"

"A while, okay?" Raven said. Emmeline sighed and shook her head. "What?" Raven hissed.

"You're such a hypocrite," Emmeline said, glaring at her again. "You criticize Ozpin for taking lives which is fair but -"

"The girl who had the powers before me would have been hunted forever for them and she wasn't strong enough! What I did was mercy, what Ozpin did was kill a dying girl to ensure that someone close to him, someone he trusted, could take her powers!" Raven snapped back. "And all so he could force them on Glynda -"

"Glynda made a choice to do that, she wasn't forced," Emmett sighed again and tried to steady himself against his wife, who seemed unnerved at best. "And, I told you, it was a desperate measure that none of us felt right about or feel right about. You know that it tortured her, right?"

Raven's eyes widened in shock. "What?" She said, her voice far softer than she had intended it to be. "I thought that -"

"The transfer...it was painful," Emmett told her, remembering that night and how he, Emmy, Cristal, and James had been scared about her. Emmeline tensed against him, and he started to lightly tread his fingers through her hair as he went on. "She was screaming, and she was struggling to walk...she literally fell into James when she was released from the pod. It was transferred to her synthetically and -"

"Oh my God," Raven said, looking at him and seeing how worried and upset he was just by recounting that. "You love her, don't you?"

"What?" Emmett demanded, horrified. "No, and not like that. She's family to me, and I've never wanted to be involved with her."

"Whatever," Raven said, staring at him before moving towards him. "Emmett, Emmeline, listen to me. Ozpin may be better than Salem...sort of...but he's done things that he'd rather keep under the wraps, things I've figured out or learned on my own. For example, Ozpin granted me and Qrow the power to turn into corvids. So that we could spy for him, mind you."

"Oz…" Emmett stared at her in shock. "He didn't."

"He did," Raven told him. "Are you surprised?"

"Well -" Emmett began.

"Raven," Emmeline said, stepping towards her and extending a hand. "You don't have to trust Ozpin, but if you trust Atlas, I promise, you'll be protected."

Raven stared at her for a moment and said nothing, inclining her head slightly towards Team SAML and Yang as they, however nervously, re-entered the tent.

"Alright," Raven said with a heavy sigh. "I suppose it's time I stop being vague, isn't it?"

Emmett glared. "It's time you make a decision and stop acting as if -"

"Shove it," Raven told him, nodding to Vernal who began to pour them all steaming Earl Grey. Sitting at the small table on the plush cushions, they all waited as Raven finally sat down, looking back at Vernal. "You can wait outside, thank you."

Vernal did as she asked, but Yang narrowed her eyes at her mother.

"So," She said tartly. "What's the 'truth'?"

"You know," Raven said, taking a sip from her cup. "It's better when it's hot."

"You know," Weiss retorted, matching her tone perfectly. "You're really obnoxious,"

Emmett laughed before he glared at Raven again. Emmeline took his hand in hers and squeezed it comfortingly while Lysithea and Samara glanced to their parents worriedly.

"You all have no idea," Emmett remarked dryly.

Raven rolled her eyes before replying to Yang rather than him.

"The truth is that 'truth' is hard to come by," She said shortly. "A story of victory for one person is a story of defeat for someone else. By now, your uncle has surely told Ruby and her friends plenty of stories."

Lysithea stared at her as she twisted her hair in her hands. "Well, that's because 'history is written by the victors'."

Annetta smacked her cousin on the back of the head. "Quit quoting famous politicians all the time, would you?"

"Neh," Lysithea said, sticking out her tongue and crossing her arms while the others began to laugh. "Shut up, Annie."

"Okay, still," Yang said, looking at her mother. "Qrow's never given me a reason to doubt him before."

"That doesn't mean those reasons don't exist," Raven told her in spite of her daughter's glare. "You know, you and your teammates might as well be the poster children for the huntsmen academies. Your motives may vary, but you all enrolled to try and make the world a better place. It's adorable. Team SAML too...though I would say to a lesser extent. And, I suppose, although much to my consternation, that I can even say the same thing for Team JGED..."

"Shut up," Emmett told her, slight anger rising in his voice.

"Why?" Raven demanded, standing up and stomping over to him though he was still taller than her. "Because I'm right? Correct me if I'm wrong, but I think Roman Torchwick was on your team -"

"Raven -" Emmett started warningly.

"Well, my brother has too much faith in fools like Ozpin and takes that whole shiny happy world idea to the next level because he wants it to be the reality, even though that's not going to be the case," She shook her head. "Huntsmen and huntresses defend the world, sort of, but that doesn't mean they can bring peace. Peace isn't attainable, which is something you all need to understand."

"It's just what huntsmen and huntresses do," Yang snapped, angered by her mother's view in that particular case.

"Not all of them," Raven told her, her voice growing dark. "Some people are just in it for the money and the fame, but there's even more that are just looking to grow stronger. Your uncle Qrow and I didn't attend Beacon to become huntsmen, we did it to learn how to kill huntsmen."

Yang and Weiss gasped in shock and both Emmeline and Emmett seemed distinctly unnerved.

"Nah," Matt Mar-Ciel said, scowling at her.

"That's ridiculous!" Annetta exclaimed, her powers as a sorceress starting to ice over the floor. "And how can you think that my dad –"

"Why would you waste your time to -" Lysithea protested.

"That's irrelevant," Raven told her, turning back to her daughter as she began to pour herself another cup of tea and paced. "Daddy and uncle and Eliza left that part out, hmm? Aside from grimm, huntsmen were the only ones capable of ruining our raids and hunting us down. Our tribe needed a counterforce, and Qrow and I were the perfect age."

"No," Yang breathed, abjectly horrified.

Raven snorted. "The entrance exams were child's play compared to what we'd already been through. We were good. So good, that we caught the attention of Beacon's very own headmaster, Professor Ozpin. Had we been in Atlas, we would have probably caught the Council's interest too...but that would have probably been for the opposite reason. See, even after we were put on a team, I could tell he was keeping an eye on us. Back then, I thought it was because he knew, but it was Team STRQ he was interested in."

"What do you mean by that?" Samara asked, raising an eyebrow.

Raven rolled her eyes. "Constant attention, extra training missions, turning a blind eye whenever we happened to break the rules and get into more trouble than we should have. Sound familiar?"

Yang, and Weiss glanced at each other uncomfortably, as did Team SAML.

"What's your point?" Emmeline pressed her.

"How much do you know about Professor Ozpin?" Raven asked her, and Yang hesitated. "About his past?"

Weiss responded instead of her. "He was...a prodigy. One of the youngest headmasters to be appointed to a school."

Annetta scowled. "And he married my mother shortly after."

Raven ignored her. "All of that happened because that's how he planned it," She said darkly. "Because the man you know as Ozpin designed those schools and has followers inside every academy on Remnant that are loyal to him and no one else."

"That doesn't make sense!" Yang exclaimed. "How could he have...no. Why would someone even do that?"

Annetta clenched her fists. "Raven, you are a lying piece of -"

Raven cut her off and looked solely at Yang.

"He did that because old man Oz has a great and terrible secret, one that could spread fear across the world," Raven laughed dryly. "One that he eventually entrusted to our team, and, once I knew, there was no going back. I needed to know more, but, with every new discovery I made, the more horrifying the world became."

"Okay, then tell us," Yang snapped. "What's the big secret? What's so crazy that the rest of us don't know about?"

"The creatures of grimm...have a master named Salem," Raven told them, raising an eyebrow when Team SAML didn't flinch but Weiss and Yang's eyes widened by the second. "She can't be stopped, she can't be reasoned with, and she will not rest until humanity crumbles at her feet."

"What?" Weiss asked, trying to comprehend.

"You know," Raven said nonchalantly, sipping her tea as Yang stood up. "You two haven't even touched your tea."

"Why should we believe any of this?" Yang demanded, crossing her arms.

"She's not lying," Annetta said weakly. "About Salem, at any rate."

"Ha," Raven said though she was a bit surprised that the rest of Team SAML already knew.

Emmeline looked at Yang and Weiss. "Raven used to be a member of our little group with Ozpin that includes me, Emmett, Glynda, James, Elizabeth, Ronnie, Qrow, Tai, Cristal, Ozpin, Leo, and…Rose. Caitlin, Sam, Lily, Matt, Annie, and Ivy know too."

Yang turned to him in shock. "That's insane!" She yelled. "Why didn't any of you -"

"It wasn't in our place to tell you -" Emmett began as calmly as he could

"So, now you know," Raven said, cutting across him. "What are all of you going to do about it?"

"I'm going after Ruby," Yang told her with finality. "Nothing you say is going to stop that."

A heavy silence befell them and Raven glanced to Emmeline.

"Will my people actually be safe?" She said.

"Yes," Emmeline replied. "Have them disperse and –"

Raven called in Vernal, who came quickly yet gracefully. Several tense moments passed while the former huntress whispered a plan to the young woman. Then, Vernal nodded and, seconds later, they could all hear her ordering the tribe outside to pack up camp and split up until the end of the summer to reconvene at Haven, where things would be safer. Raven stood up, and the rest of them did as well. She picked up her sword, holding it in her hands almost as if she were testing its weight, and slashed open a portal. Yang grabbed her motorcycle and drove through it with Weiss, Annetta, Matt, and Lysithea. Raven raised an eyebrow upon Samara staying behind but then shook her head. Once the first portal had dissipated, she slashed open another one to Tai and she, Sam, Emmett, and Emmeline stepped through to where they all knew he would be in Atlas.

* * *

**_June 2nd_**

**_Mistral_**

**_7:45 PM_**

"So," Weiss said, half glaring at her cousins who were avoiding her gaze in slight shame now that the heiress and Yang had been fully exposed to the same knowledge that the others had. "The Maidens. Magic. Salem. It's all true?"

Qrow took a long drink from his flask. "Uh-huh."

"Believe me, there are times when I wish it wasn't. Apart from the fact that...well… Salem's more dangerous than you know..." Annetta told them, sighing heavily and running a hand through her hair. "And my powers as a sorceress haven't made things easy on me."

"What?" Yang said, just as shocked as the rest of them, including Qrow. "That...what?"

"You know," Qrow said, vaguely amused as Yang buried her face in her hands. "You really do sound like Glynda when you say that..."

"Yang," Annetta began awkwardly. "I'm sorry, but I really have told you all everything I know."

Yang didn't respond, feeling almost numb. Weiss answered for her.

"To them?" She said dryly. "For the most part."

"You forgot something," Yang put in with a glare. "You forgot to tell everyone what your father did to Qrow and my mother."

Ruby gasped, though Jaune was the first to speak. "What is she talking about?"

"Oh, great," Qrow groaned. "Raven of all people told you that?"

"Look," Annetta said irritably, throwing her axe halfway across the room in anger. "I agree, that's not a secret I thought she would give up so easily and, as my dad would put it, your mother must trust you a great deal," Even though Yang scowled, she went on. "Yeah, my dad reincarnates and, yeah, he has magic. That got passed down to me and my siblings, and it's similar to the power of maidens or, you know, fucking Rosalinde Varna's magic. So, yeah, he has quote unquote magical powers. He used it to give them the ability to 'see' more, to move freely and be unburdened by their natural bodies. I mean he gave them the ability to turn into birds. Sure, it's ridiculous, but still. It's the fucking truth."

"Dad..." Ruby pressed him and Qrow sighed.

"You turned them..." Ren stared in disbelief. "Into birds?"

"Alright," Nora scoffed. "Now you're just messing with us."

"What else is new?" Jaune demanded angrily.

"That's...wrong!" Matt exclaimed in horror.

"She's telling the truth," Weiss informed them. "We saw it. Yang's mom… changed, right in front of us even though we didn't know it at the time. "

"Why would you do something like that?" Yang demanded of Ozpin. "I mean, what is wrong with you?"

"Yang, that's enough!" Qrow snapped, unusually sharp. "We made a choice. We wanted this."

"Listen to me!" Annetta shrieked, standing up with her fists clenched. "Giving them that power was no trivial task, and I can assure you it was not done frivolously! Daddy told all of us this, and mommy knew it too! He needed help getting information on Salem's plans, not to mention searching for Maidens when their hosts became unclear."

Ruby processed before nervously asking another inquiry.

"Okay, but has he done this with others?" She said weakly. "Like General Ironwood? Or Professor Goodwitch?"

Qrow laughed bitterly. "Oh, that's an interesting story..."

Annetta stared at him in horror, knowing what had happened from her mother's own description.

"She could have died -"

"Glynda was perfectly fine," He countered. "And James -"

"Yes!" Annetta screeched, her voice shriller by the second. "Glynda's currently...she currently possess half of the Fall Maiden's powers my aunt having the other half. And daddy's power is finite, and, according to mommy, dwindling. The amount that he gifted to Qrow and Raven was, all things considered, rather miniscule. Okay? Centuries ago, he sacrificed a great deal of magic to four young women, who he had hoped would use my gift for good. They were the first Maidens." A heavy silence rang out before she angrily continued. "He never meant to lie to anyone, there are just some matters that he wants to be careful about."

Qrow laughed. "Yeah…but…okay, all of us in the group had a choice. Raven and I chose to accept our powers and the responsibilities that came with them and, later, she chose to abandon her duties in favour of her own self-interest. Now, all of you have a choice. If anyone wishes to leave, now is the time. There's no shame or disgrace in abstaining, only in retreat."

Annetta, Matt, and Lysithea scowled at everyone and Annetta sighed, feeling like shit, even more so when Yang stood up suddenly.

Ruby stared at her in shock. "Yang?"

"If Ruby sticks around, then I will too. If there's one thing I know about her, it's that she somehow always knows the right thing to do," Smiling at Ruby, Yang sighed. "But if we're going to help, if we're going to keep risking our lives, no more lies. No more half-truths."

Silence passed again.

"Cool," Qrow said with a shrug.

Yang sat back down as Jaune spoke. "So...what now? I mean, what can we do?"

"Hmmm...that is a difficult question," Qrow admitted, reaching for a drink. "One that I believe is best answered tomorrow."


	65. Will It Amount To Anything?

**_June 4th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City Of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:23 PM_**

"It hasn't changed much, has it?" James said as he came into the office, startling his wife before sighing. "I shouldn't have scared you, sorry."

"No, it's...it's fine…" Glynda said, still looking out the window. "I just...I don't quite know what to make of all of this. Ozpin's hiding from everything that's happened, Ivy's a mother, Jake almost flunked out of school, and Cate's been volatile at best…"

"It's going to be fine," James told her though she sighed, unconvinced. "If only because they'll manage a way out of whatever they need to."

"Have you heard from Emmett and Emmeline at all?" Glynda asked him and he nodded. "Are they -"

"Fine, although I can't tell which one of them is more annoyed right now," James laughed shortly and leaned against the desk as she turned around, adjusting her glasses. "Raven agreed to align herself and her tribe with Atlas, with the promise of clemency from the security council. As you can imagine, that was much to Elizabeth's chagrin."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "How did Raven manage to get herself full protection from the law?"

"To be honest, I don't know," He admitted. "It sounded like Kiara Davis and Leanne Tanner were pushing for it, and, considering that they're the head of the Department of Civil, Criminal, and Corporate Prosecution and the Department of Local and National Law Enforcement respectively…"

"Their sway in the matter was greater than average," She surmised. "Of course."

"Elizabeth's rather angry about the whole affair, and Ronnie has maintained an air of perfect neutrality," James added. "Although what Ronnie actually thinks about all of this is anybody's guess. If I were to say, he probably isn't thrilled about the arrangement but believes it to be a necessary evil of sorts."

Glynda rolled her eyes. "Since when is anything Ronnie believes on the surface? His entire political career is centered around being almost perfectly moderate and being actively charming far more than he speaks to any given issue. An improvement over what we had until after the 2020 elections, but…"

"I know," James said, running a hand through his slightly disheveled hair. "And, speaking of Raven, it turns out that she's the Spring Maiden."

"She's the Spring Maiden?" Glynda repeated, completely stunned, before forcing herself to be steady. "How? The last...who did she kill?"

"According to Emmett, Raven killed a young girl with the power," James glanced back at what Emmett had sent him again before continuing. "And she said that it was mercy because the girl wasn't able to control the power."

"That's not mercy!" Glynda exclaimed, setting down her crop in irritation. "That's the opposite! That's her finding a way to justify killing someone to strengthen herself!"

"I know," James said, horrified by what Raven had done if unsurprised by it. "Although it's not entirely out of the blue. Everything she's ever done has been in self-interest, and this is just another example of that fact."

Glynda looked rather annoyed at the notion. "And she's in Atlas right now?"

"Emmett and Emmeline ended up having to let her live with them until everyone reconvenes at Haven to handle Leo," James sighed. "Which, I can imagine, is unpleasant for everyone involved. Given how easily Emmett gets annoyed with people, I'll give it a week before Emmeline's going to have to talk sense back into him."

Glynda snorted. "Are we talking about the same man? I'd give it less than a day before –"

Her scroll lit up as a request for access was received and she groaned before looking at James, who moved to pull her into him as she granted the request. Almost in the instant they were granted entrance, Port and Oobleck all but burst into the room. They were arguing incoherently, and Port shouted something about being more of a man before shoving his blunderbuss under Oobleck's nose. Pushing up his glasses almost indignantly, Oobleck took a long sip from his thermos before he allowed the tip to ignite and he held it menacingly at Port. This lasted a few minutes until both of them screamed upon being knocked back and against opposite sides of the room by Glynda's swift flicks from her riding crop. Glaring at both of them, she stalked over towards them as they stood up, her bronze heels clicking, and crossed her arms.

"What the hell are the two of you doing?" She demanded as they looked to each other and then to her in slight fear. "Well?"

Port hesitated before glaring at Oobleck. "Glynda," He said slowly. "There's something that you really ought to know about."

"You know," Glynda said, narrowing her eyes at both of them. "Every time someone says that to me, I usually end up getting angry with someone over it. So, am I going to like what you're about to tell me or am I not?"

Port and Oobleck both grimaced before looking back to her as James came over and wrapped an arm around her waist.

"Uh..." Oobleck started awkwardly. "Well..."

"Well what?" She said, crossing her arms even tighter. "Well?"

Oobleck bit his lip before awkwardly replying with the first thing that came to mind.

"You look nice," He started.

"Barty..." Glynda began dangerously. "If you don't spit out whatever it is that you're thinking, then I swear that I'll -"

"There was a... note left in your old office by..." Oobleck began, pulling the crumpled sheet of paper out of his pocket. "Uh...Cinder Fall."

"What?" Glynda stared at him in shock as she snatched the note from him and began to scan over it in abject horror. "You're joking...how long -"

"A few days, at most," Port told her, his nerves beginning to consume him. "My question is how she got on the campus."

"My question is why," Glynda countered, staring at him over her glasses for a moment before sighing. "Because she clearly didn't do anything else."

"Which is shocking," James added, looking over the note himself. "May I read it?"

Glynda nodded as she handed it to him, trying not to appear nearly as shaken as she felt.

_Glynda ~_

_I don't quite know where you are but believe when I say that if you're hiding out in Atlas that you can't hide there forever. Beacon fell, but Haven will meet its fate next. Then it will be Atlas's turn. Don't worry about your girls, though. They'll be fine so long as they stay out of my way and with Lily and Sam. As for you, Emmett, and the generals...well, I don't think you'll like what I have planned for you. Ozpin may have surpassed his arrogance for a moment by transferring that girl's power to you but it will be mine. Like it or not, that power is rightfully mine, not yours._

_~ Cinder Amelia Fall_

James looked up at her in fear. "She wouldn't."

"We already knew that she was going to go after me," Glynda reminded him, shrugging though she was nervous. "We already knew that I'll have to fight her."

"She could kill you," James told her, bringing her into him tightly with concern flooding over him. "I..."

"This is dealable," Glynda promised him with a sigh. "Okay? I'll be fine, it's not as if I'm inexperienced as a fighter and, besides that, I've fought her to the point of a draw before even without the powers."

"I know," James said, stroking her hair. "But that doesn't make her any less dangerous."

Glynda bit her lip, leaning into him, and closing her eyes. "I know..."

"Considering that Cinder was the reason Beacon fell," Oobleck began as Glynda turned around and James kept an arm tightly around her waist. "I think we should help."

"No," Glynda told him and he raised an eyebrow. "And only because we can't rope more people into this, especially not without Ozpin."

"Ozpin?" Port asked and she didn't reply. "Ozpin's been hiding in Atlas since the Fall, Glynda, but he -"

"Yes, I am quite aware of the fact," She told him, tensing. "Although I think that -"

Her scroll beeped again with another request for access, followed by a message from Elizabeth.

"Who's that?" Oobleck asked as she granted the request and looked up at him sharply.

"Elizabeth Morell," Glynda told him as the elevator opened and Elizabeth stepped out, as pristinely domineering as ever. "Eliza, what are you -"

"I'm here because I heard you had come back to Beacon," Elizabeth said, glancing to Port and Oobleck. "I hate asking the two of you to do this, but I need to speak with Glynda and James alone. A sensitive matter, I'm sure you understand."

Port and Oobleck shared a look but shrugged and walked out. Shifting out of James's embrace, Glynda reattached her crop to her boot as he leaned against the desk and Elizabeth stared.

"What is it?" She said tiredly.

"The Spring Maiden," Elizabeth said, almost as if the statement was distasteful. "She's…for all intents and purposes…far less than cooperative."

"What is that supposed to mean?" James asked her and she sighed.

"It means that Raven Branwen is the Spring Maiden," Elizabeth told them, sounding vaguely angry. "Which explains quite a lot about her ability to get and maintain territory."

"We know," Glynda said irritably. "And, let me guess, she's been –"

"A pain in the ass?" Elizabeth suggested sourly. "That might be an understatement, and she's been in Atlas for less than a week."

"Well, hopefully this doesn't go to hell," Glynda muttered, letting James wrap his arms around her. "And, all things considered, we probably have more pressing concerns than how to handle Raven Branwen within Atlas."

"That's fair," James agreed, kissing her softly before looking back to Elizabeth. "Are you okay?"

"No, I'm not," Elizabeth said, sounding particularly bitter. "Because we all fucked up this time. If we hadn't divided ourselves so much, then, maybe, Beacon wouldn't have fallen."

* * *

**_June 5th_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_2:23 PM_**

"I still can't believe full communications came back online and are at the speed they're supposed to be!" Nora exclaimed, half falling over the couch with her scroll in hand. She had been watching odd videos – one of which had show a disgusting neck infection – for the last few hours and had been hyper to say the very least. "I mean, this is so fucking awesome!"

"Eh," Qrow said, far more skeptical than any of the young huntsmen. "I think there's something not right about this. Ronnie Ciel and Elizabeth Morell did something, and I'm not sure I wanna know what it is."

"They got everything back to normal," Ruby countered, sharing a knowing look with Yang. "Isn't that a good thing? It doesn't seem like they've done anything bad."

"You don't know Atlas like I do, Ruby," Qrow gruffly replied, taking a long swig from his flask. "There is always an ulterior motive for those people."

"I don't believe that," Yang said, crossing her arms. "You're being obnoxious, uncle Qrow."

"I'm being right, Yang," He told her darkly. "And you trust your mother, so, clearly, you've got some issues with knowing who lies and who doesn't."

Yang glared. "At least she told me things you never would have."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "She said that, didn't she?"

"She didn't have to," Yang said, then sighing. "Why keep all this from us for so long? Why didn't we…"

"Because you all weren't ready," Qrow said shortly. "And –"

"How weren't we ready?" Weiss put in, staring at him incredulously. "It sounds almost like you're making things up."

"And you'd know all about that," Qrow remarked. "Considering that seems to be your father's entire job. Speaking of which, isn't he on trial?"

Weiss tensed. "No less than he deserves."

Gentle silence befell them and Weiss stared at her hands sadly. After a moment, Ruby came over to her partner's side and tightly embraced her, stroking her hair affectionately.

"If you need to talk about this, I'm here for you," She said softly, kissing her cheek. "It's going to be okay, Weiss, I promise."

"You're far more optimistic than I will ever be," Weiss said weakly. "Maybe I've become like my uncle…"

"You're nothing like Emmett!" Nora exclaimed, seeming rather hyperactive. "He's a bit of a dick!"

"Ain't that the truth…" Qrow swore under his breath.

"Emmett isn't that bad," Yang said, crossing her arms. "Hell, he's part of why we're –"

"Yeah, yeah," Nora said, waving her hand dismissively and then perking up even more upon Ren stepping into the room. "Hello!"

Ren smiled indulgently. "Hi, Nora. You look great."

"Thanks!" She exclaimed, embracing him tightly and shaking him a bit. "Isn't it great to be in –"

"Nora, calm down," Weiss told her, sounding torn between tired and exasperated. "I don't think Ren's a magic eight ball."

Nora snickered and Ren ruffled her hair. Ruby all but fell onto the floor in laughter when Nora smacked Ren's backside and Weiss, shaking her head, needed to help her back to her feet.

"You all are weird," Qrow noted, taking another swig from his flask. "But I'm glad that you all are at least okay. And, hey: we've got a little while before we got to deal with Atlas, so let's enjoy the fun while it lasts."

"Nice!" Yang pumped her fist in the air and lifted his credit card out of his pocket. "I'm going to a bar!"

They all stared as she sauntered out with fiery sass and, not long after, Nora tore after her and Qrow shrugged, not giving a damn either way what they could possibly get themselves into. After all, the notion of Yang going out with people and wreaking havoc on the town was not a new concept to him.

"Aren't you going to stop them?" Weiss asked him almost incredulously. "I thought you were supposed to be the adult here."

Qrow smirked. "You're gonna find out that I'm anything but the adult, Schnee."

* * *

**_June 6th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:37 PM_**

The first thing Emmett Schnee did when he entered his and Emmeline's townhouse was scowl at the woman who was sitting on their couch with lit candles on the coffee table and burning sage on a plate between them. She was either meditating or (more likely, given her smirk) trying to see how much it would take to piss him off which, as it happened, was not much. Emmett loudly put his sword up on the wall and sent her a dark look when she opened her eyes and smiled at him. Since she had arrived in Atlas, she had made a pseudo-threat to Blake and Allison Adel (because of a rather pointed comment Allison had made about her questionable loyalties), taunted Elizabeth Morell (which had caused Tai to inform her that, no, she could not stay with them because his wife was tortured enough), and imposed on Emmeline and Emmett because she needed to be closely monitored and they were the only ones who had no substantial reasons to object. The only problem was that it had affected their entire lives; from their sleep, to their family, to their work.

_"Yo, Professor Schnee?" Flynt Coal had yelled across the lecture hall. "Some idiot on an online forum won't shut up about how they can infuse themselves with lightning dust! How much do you think it would take to kill a normal person?"_

_Emmett had glanced up in surprise and awkwardly adjusted his glasses for a moment before responding. The entire lecture hall had erupted in a chorus of demands related to what Flynt had (rather suddenly) posited. This, of course, was except for Neon Katt, who had buried her face in her hands, utterly embarrassed by everything going on around her. While this had less to do with her teammates and more to do with everyone else's enthusiasm (feigned or otherwise), she couldn't help but wish she were anywhere else. She was the president's eldest child, after all, and even class with her mother would be less stressful than this and Rosella Katt was known for being the Atlas Academy professor that had threatened to punch disruptive students in the past, had (and continued to) brought in (possibly) illegal weapons for educational reasons, and constantly gave out extra credit to anyone who could make a good shot across the lecture hall into the trash can._

_This was vastly different, Neon knew, from Emmett, who frequently showed up to teach in his pajamas and had admitted to waking up and saying things ranging from "shit, I'm late for school" to "oh, yeah, I'm an adult" to "oh, fuck, I'm the teacher!" That wasn't to say he wasn't a good lecturer or wasn't knowledgeable, but it did highlight just how disoriented he often was. Spencer, who taught the first and third years while Emmett taught the second and fourth years, was his own enigma. It wasn't much of a surprise to any of them, considering that they were the only Atlas Academy professors that weren't active (or in Emmett's case, consistently active) huntsmen because their per few was in history and this meant that things were often different. Spencer actively taught, when pressed, how to curse in foreign languages, was open about his hatred of the public education system in Atlas, never bothered the kids who fell asleep in class, and was the reason there was a dart board in the classroom. As it happened, he was also the reason everyone knew about Emmett and his pool table in the teacher's lounge._

_"Alright, listen," Emmett had said after the noise had quieted a little. "I'm not going to recommend that anybody do that because it would be stupid and, honestly, too much of anything can kill you, even coffee."_

_He had said this, as it had happened, while chugging the rest of his._

_"And, for the record," He had added darkly. "Too much of some people can drive you crazy."_

_"Experienced?" Ivori had suggested._

_Emmett had snorted. "You could say that."_

"I like this," Raven remarked, laying down casually and, in the process, drawing Emmett from his thoughts. "Although you could do with things other than vegan health food in this house. My God, do you people live off the air and chickpeas?"

Emmett scowled. "You don't live here."

"I do for now," Raven reminded him. "And –"

"Emmy!" Emmett called down the hall. "I need help!"

Emmeline all but ran into the room, eight-year-old Eddie following his mother curiously and sent Raven a dark look when she stopped. Then, she briefly took Emmett's hand and squeezed it before she turned on Raven with crossed arms.

"Okay," She started irritably. "Let me make this –"

The front door opened and shut quickly downstairs and a brief silence followed until Samara reached the top of the stairs, looking rather awkward with Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch beside her.

"How long is she going to stay here?" Sam asked, pointing towards Raven and sounding rather exasperated.

"I'm going to go borrow your steam shower," Raven informed them, transforming into her corvid form and flying down the hall.

Another moment passed in silence. Emmeline looked thoroughly exasperated, Eddie seemed confused, Emmett was more annoyed than he had ever thought possible, and Sam seemed suddenly pissed off by everything.

"Evidently," Emmett said darkly, starting up the stairs with Emmeline and Eddie following him. "She's going to be here far too long.

Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch sighed and pushed up her glasses while Samara wrapped an arm affectionately around her as soon as the others were gone.

"You weren't kidding about how bad she is but, you know what? You can deal with this," Cate told her, and Samara raised an eyebrow. "You know why? Because Raven's a bitch you can rant about to me and everyone else, and I'm a dumbass, and a bitch, and the sexiest person in Target."

Samara smiled and pressed a soft kiss to her lips. "Damn right you are," She murmured, relieved that, for even a short while, that things were returning to normal or, at least, as normal as things could be while a corvid-woman with well-known murderous intent lurked about.


	66. Bloodshed and Resurgence (of Memories)

**_June 8th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:21 PM_**

"Miss Hill," Senator Sleet said cordially, gesturing for her to sit down across from Elizabeth Morell, Blake Adel, and himself. "Thank you for agreeing to meet with us, especially after…well, after Miss Thyme's…expression of concern a few weeks back."

Robyn raised an eyebrow. "Expression of concern? That's what you're calling the short-lived arrest of one of my kin because she had an outburst in a press conference?"

"Thyme's behavior was completely inappropriate," Blake Adel said, eyeing her for a moment before he went on. "With the amount of security concerns that we have, Thyme should have known better than to cause a scene that could have endangered the lives of many innocent people."

Robyn snorted. "With all due respect, it sounds to me that you're hyperbolizing, Director Adel."

Blake bristled. "Miss Hill, even you have to understand –"

"And I'm not saying I don't understand what you're saying," Robyn sharply replied. "I am only making clear that I contest it."

Elizabeth Morell frowned. "You contest that you allowed one of your so-called Happy Huntresses to cause a scene at a presidential press conference in a time when the entire kingdom is already on edge because of what happened to Beacon last year?"

Robyn sighed. "Fiona may have overreacted, but she didn't say anything that wasn't true," She turned towards Sleet, who was now sitting beside Blake. "Senator Sleet, you're from New Mancaster, aren't you? Tell me: how many of the people in the province you represent are poor? Have you ever seen much more than opulence of the city of Atlas, or the city of Mancaster, or the city of L'ange, if we we're going to the other coast? Have any of you, actually?"

Sleet, Elizabeth, and Blake all suddenly looked rather awkward.

"Poverty and unemployment are at record lows," Sleet eventually said. "There will always be stratification, of course, but we all work on behalf of the people from –"

"I'm going to stop you right there," Robyn said, putting up a hand to silence him. "If you all work for the people as you say, then why are you all so content to take everything from cities like Mantle?"

"We do not take everything from cities like Mantle, Miss Hill," Elizabeth said sharply, her hands folded primly in front of her. "We are, however, looking at the good of the country holistically and, sometimes, that means –"

"Secretly restoring international communications when most of us don't realize they were ever down?" Robyn acidly suggested. "Or, maybe, there was another motive behind it? What about Snow –"

"Jeralt Snow is a former Atlesian citizen and now an enemy of the state," Elizabeth said, her voice becoming increasingly constrained. "He stole millions of classified government documents and released them without any authorization from Vacuo, where he was granted protection. If you are suggesting –"

"Snow did the right thing," Robyn irritably countered. "Otherwise, we wouldn't have known that the Atlesian Council has the capacity to tap into everyone's communications if they so desire."

"There are quite a few intricacies you are missing there, Miss Hill," Blake Adel calmly informed her. "For example, the Council is only permitted to take such action with a high-order warrant. This would only apply to the most dangerous of criminals, or terrorists. It is a security precaution we've encoded, and it is not to survey everyone in the kingdom. For heaven's sake, if we were to do that, there would be public outcry."

Robyn scowled. "But you did launch the Amity satellite without public knowledge until very recently, with a cover story at that."

Sleet raised an eyebrow. "How could you possibly know about that?"

"I'm the one who has to stand for the people who are being left in the dust by people like the three of you," Robyn said harshly. "That means I have to constantly be taking positive action, and, yes, I knew about it quite early on because I followed government vehicles with my Happy Huntresses."

"That's illegal," Elizabeth warned her. "Revelation of that information, too, would be criminal espionage. You do understand that the details of our space program are vital to national security, now don't you?"

Robyn shook her head. "There's no need to be condescending, Madame Morell."

"To the contrary, I think there is," Elizabeth said, standing up rather suddenly and beginning to pace. "Miss Hill, we did not call you here today to lecture you, we called you to come to a mutual understanding so we can all work together to –"

"That's why I'm running for one of Mantle's seats on the Council, in the commons," Robyn replied, much to the surprise of Elizabeth and, to a lesser extent, Sleet and Blake. "Because I want to defend my people from within this system that supposedly works for everyone."

"Atlas is based around the marketplace of ideas and small government," Sleet reminded her. "If you think that you'll –"

"Small government?" Robyn burst out into dry laughter. "Do you even hear yourself, Senator? The Atlas Council is not conceivably small and, for all the balance it has and for all it does to, mostly, represent the people fairly, we're the world's strongest military power. If you all believe this is small, then I worry where things might be headed for all of us. Honestly, that doesn't even get into the issues I have with the DFAMA."

Blake's scroll began to go off suddenly and he quickly left the room with an apologetic look. Sleet quickly followed, leaving only Elizabeth and Robyn in silence.

"We'll continue this discussion later," She said as kindly as she could manage despite her annoyance. "I'm afraid I have a rather urgent briefing to attend, but, Miss Hill, please consider my offer. We really do want to work with you."

Robyn sighed heavily, running a hand through her hair.

"You might be being sincere," She said, lingering in the doorway. "But I know someone definitely isn't, and, you know something? Fuck them."

"Fuck who?" Elizabeth asked, feeling almost sick.

"Fuck James Ironwood, fuck Emmeline Ciel, and…" Robyn shook her head darkly. "Fuck Karissa Mar and her damn scheming."

* * *

**_June 9th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:43 PM_**

"Glynda, what's wrong?" James asked her as she clutched the side of her desk in her new office, her eyes closed and her head down. "Glyns, please."

"Jamie..." Glynda sighed, lifting one hand up and probing her forehead. "I..."

"Glyns," James said, coming to her side and wrapping an arm around her waist before pushing up her glasses. "You don't look good at all."

"I don't feel well," Glynda admitted, shifting slightly to look at him. "I just..."

She tripped over her heels, a spike headache rising and her maiden powers activating. She was having a psychic moment, she knew, but she hadn't had one in so long. James caught her and worry and fear for her began to rise in him.

"Glynda," He said fearfully. "What's going on?"

"I don't know!" She snapped though she shook her head when she looked at him. "I'm sorry, James, I -"

Cutting her off with a passionate kiss, James held her close to him as her hands grabbed at his short, dark hair and his arms wrapped tighter around her. His hands supporting her since she was slightly unsteady, James continued to kiss her almost urgently and she responded with equal passion. Grasping the collar of his tan leather jacket, Glynda didn't stop kissing him as her back pressed against her desk and her legs began to part beneath him. Pressing against her, James gently squeezed her shoulders to help release the tension he knew she carried there and she wrapped her arms around him tightly before beginning to slide off his jacket though they stopped when a sudden voice spoke from behind them and heels clicked into the room.

"Hello, Glynda," The former Schnee said with a smirk as she entered the room and she and James split apart suddenly yet he wrapped his arms around her protectively before gently releasing her off the look she gave him. The sadist, still, retained her smirk. "Oh," She said, her voice dripping in sarcasm. "And General Ironwood is here too."

"Ashlynn," Glynda replied bitterly, taking her crop from her boot and into her hand.

"Oh Glynda," She said, looking at the woman and smiling. "Believe me, no one calls me that anymore."

"Oh, I know," Glynda said, narrowing her eyes. "But that doesn't mean I give a damn."

Cinder laughed as she walked towards her and Glynda, too, stepped towards her. The two women began to circle each other in close proximity for a moment, eye to eye, with no words spoken for what felt like the longest time.

"Where is the Relic?" Cinder finally said, her voice falsely sweet.

"Why would I tell you?" Glynda hissed, tightening her grip on her crop. "Well?"

"Because you want to live, don't you?" Cinder asked, leaning in slightly before smirking as she moved away from her. "If I can have the Relic, then I'll let you live."

"No, you won't," Glynda said, able to feel the woman's anger. "You'll kill me either way."

"Aren't you perceptive?" Cinder rolled her eyes while James pulled out his revolver and pointed it at her. "Oh, are you going to pull the trigger on that, General Ironwood?"

"If you force me too," James told her, glancing at his scroll and sending a message to Port and Oobleck quickly. "You're not going to touch a hair on her head."

"You're just as protective as Emmett, aren't you?" Cinder laughed before sighing and shaking her head in disappointment. "Not only of your children, of course, but of your wife -"

"You're nothing more than a sadistic bitch," James snapped, his revolver still pointed at her. "You had every opportunity to stop and try to be better, but you chose to continue to ruthlessly pursue power every damn -"

"I am pursuing power that's rightfully mine!" Cinder screeched. "I've been denied powers that were rightfully mine for years! Since Cristal was always favored by our father! Since Emmett was fifteen and Jacques inherited the company from our idiot father instead of me! Since I was denied training my powers as a sorceress by my abusive mother because she thought that I'd become the most dangerous sorceress in history!"

"Which you may very well have," James pointed out bitterly. "You became exactly what that woman said, and not because you wanted to become her vision but because it gave you power! Because it allows you to pursue -"

"I am powerful!" Cinder declared, her amber eyes flaring. "I am feared, but that doesn't mean I'm dangerous! And I've never killed unless I needed to, unless I didn't have a choice!"

"Bullshit!" Glynda shouted, her eyes sparking as her maiden powers began to activate and Cinder took a small step back and closed her eyes to do the same while the huntress continued to shout at her. "You kill for power and because you want nothing more than for humanity to crumble at your feet! You turned yourself into a monster for power!"

"Oh, like you haven't!" Cinder shouted back with her half of that same power sparking around her own eyes. "Because, in order for you to become the Fall Maiden for Ozpin's sake, you have to kill me! A life is a life, no matter what the reason!"

"I'm not happy about this," Glynda told her with a glare and her voice angry. "But I'm saving the lives of however many others you'll kill if you become the Fall Maiden!"

"Shut up!" Cinder screamed, summoning a bow and arrow and shooting the arrow at the forty-four-year-old huntress.

Using her semblance, Glynda deflected the arrow into the wall while James fired a shot at Cinder who flipped out of the way. Summoning a ball of fire in her left hand and throwing it at Cinder, Glynda manipulated it towards the sorceress with her crop. The former Schnee, though taken by surprise, barely shifted out of the way and froze the fire with a spell. Glaring at the huntress, Cinder summoned an obsidian sword and began to run at her with it in hand though the younger woman caught the blade and dissipated it. She grabbed Cinder's wrist and flipped her over the desk before using her semblance to draw some of her refined ice Dust into her hand from the vial she had on the shelf. Pouring a little into it and concentrating with her maiden powers, Glynda summoned a sword of ice in her hand. Leaping over the desk as the woman got up, she attempted to stab her but the former Schnee cartwheeled out of the way and the sword shattered against the window. Turning out of the way as Cinder threw raw dust crystals at her, Glynda stared for a moment before taking a deep breath and steadying her crop in her hand.

Using her semblance to throw Cinder against the wall, the former Schnee cried out in pain while her orange aura rippled over body. Struggling as she pushed herself up, Cinder levitated herself and charged at Glynda who used her aura to shield herself while the sadistic woman continued to attempt to kill her. Knocking the sorceress back with a powerful, concentrated aura blast, Glynda restrained herself from using her semblance so much she could. She knew that she was going to deplete her aura if she weren't careful. The former Schnee stood up once again with her aura starting to flicker, and she summoned a glyph under Glynda who back flipped twice to avoid the fiery blast resulting from it. Standing by the elevator with his revolver in hand and pointing it at Cinder as she continued to fight Glynda, James tried to steady himself to properly aim at the woman to help Glynda though he was afraid that he would miss and that the bullet would go into her instead. Sighing in relief as the elevator doors were forced open and Port and Oobleck dashed into the room, James looked back to the fight as his wife manipulated the dust crystals that Cinder had tossed at her to alter their course and turn on the sorceress instead.

"My God!" Oobleck exclaimed in horror. "Cinder -"

Taking a sip from his thermos and igniting the tip while Port tossed his blunderbuss axe in the air once, Oobleck began to run towards the sorceress and Glynda though the huntress began to shout as soon as she noticed them.

"Get back you two -" She yelled.

"She's -" Port started though he began to step back when Glynda sent him and Port a sharp glare before turning back to her opponent.

"You think they'll be able to save you?" Cinder asked her, smirking as she walked towards her and tilted the huntress's head back with a finger while she gritted her teeth and tried to steel herself for what she knew she had to do. "They'll only die if you let them try! And what would that do then? If you lost two of your friends? Another friend of yours, gone."

"I'm sorry about your life," Glynda hissed. "But that doesn't justify any of this."

"Oh?" Cinder laughed sadistically. "How about…what would you do if I killed him?" Cinder said, pointing at James, who noticed Glynda clenching her fists after reattaching her riding crop to her boot. Seeing what the woman was attempting to do with the huntress's eyes flaring with her sparks around them, Cinder roughly pushed the woman to the ground and stepped a foot down on top of her with a terrifying smile. "What if I killed James?" She murmured. "What would that do to you then?"

"They're not going to save me," Glynda told her, concentrating as she focused her powers into the palms of her hands to summon another sword. "And you're not going to have your way."

"I'll have the Spring Maiden by the morrow," Cinder gloated, laughing. "We know she's one of Raven's supposedly loyal followers of all people, but still. And, you know, I have others on my side. Arthur Watts, for example -"

"Watts is still alive? He works for Salem?" James demanded, firing a shot at her but she stopped the bullet by freezing it mid-air. "How long?"

"Longer than I have been," Cinder told him with a self-satisfied smirk. "But I also have others, such as Emerald and Mercury -"

"Who are children you tricked into following you," Glynda said, her eyes still sparking despite being closed as she continued to attempt to summon without an aid. "You're a -"

"They're not here, though," Cinder said, rolling her eyes at the choice she had made before they had left Mistral. "They're still in Mistral because some of them didn't want to come and I decided that I can't risk not getting my Spring Maiden. So…a few of them are working with the White Fang and, believe me, the other academies will meet their fate. I assure you of that."

Summoning another bow and arrow, Cinder poised herself to shoot the huntress clean through as the General continued to fire at her though she managed to deflect each of his shots with aura blasts in varying degrees of strength. Noticing her aura flickering, Cinder steadied her hands as she pulled back on the bow's string but Glynda was fast enough to force herself to her feet after some struggle and finally summoned a long, sharp sword of ice. Using her semblance with her free hand, Glynda pushed the former Schnee against the wall and restrained her there as she closed her eyes and took in a deep breath to steady herself in spite of what she knew she was about to do. Running at the restrained sorceress who was struggling to break free with her aura still flickering even more dimly from the effort, Glynda threw the summoned sword of ice into the woman's chest and her eyes went wide in fear when she realized what had happened.

The rest of the powers of the Fall Maiden transferring into her, the sparks around Glynda's eyes only shifted to full strength and she began to shake. Watching the woman collapse limply to the ground as the moonlight continued to pour into the office, Glynda bit her lip as she looked on with wide eyes. Looking away quickly, she deactivated her maiden powers and adjusted her glasses with her hands shaking before she glanced out the window at the shattered moon and found a sinking feeling rising in her that made her feel as if she was going to be sick. Trying to force herself to be steady as James put his revolver down and Port and Oobleck tried to understand what was going on, Glynda closed her eyes but, when she opened them and forced herself to look back at Cinder's body, she collapsed to her knees and vomited into the rubbish bin beside her desk.

Rushing to her side, James began to rub her back in an attempt to comfort her though he knew that she was repulsed with herself and what she had done though they both knew why she had done it. Several minutes passed and, by the time she looked up and had stopped vomiting, Port and Oobleck removed Cinder's body from the room while James hadn't left her side. He was staring at her in deep concern, praying she didn't realize that memories of the Fall were coming back, memories of the attack in the south Menagerie sea from late in 2000.

_"Trash!" The hooded faunus men yelled from their small, unassuming boat. "Collecting your –"_

_The Atlesian crew began to throw down their bags but, all too quickly and with no time to react, the faunus men activated what they had truly been hiding in their boat. The bombs went off, blowing a hole in the side of the ship and crushing in the galley. The entire ship shook and swayed, and, in the lower deck, Specialist Ironwood and the small contingent of new recruits that he had command over suddenly realized that one of the fuel tanks had been ruptured. A few minutes passed as they gathered fire-retardant material and precariously floated it on the top of the liquid fuel, which, they knew, was more than flammable and explosive. One misstep would send them all to hell, but the ship was sinking. Several minutes passed and, by the time they were ready to cut a hole in the other side of the ship, they were waist deep in the fuel. Ever so slowly and painfully, James ordered them to start cutting open the metal with the welding torch. It was a dangerous game, and it was one that, even after the deed was successfully done, haunted them well beyond their return to Atlas._

_For James, it never quite left him. It had been so soon – too soon, really – after the accident on the last mission with his team that had cost him his arm and leg and it had almost left his wife widowed so early in their marriage. It had been the end of 2000, and it was one of the first warning signs of the increasing aggression towards Atlas by the White Fang. Nineteen people were killed by them, and the youngest had been barely eighteen. It was a horror that, at the time, had seemed to threaten to haunt Atlas forever. He and Glynda had thought the new year – 2001 – would be a sign of something better, of new times, something that had only been heightened when she had found out she was pregnant. Yet, just before their girls had been born, the most infamous and deadly of attacks happened, scarring the kingdom and its people forever. None of them had seen it coming and, for as beautiful a blessing the girls had been in such a dark time, he had never thought knowing, later, what had happened would leave such a deep, bitter impression on his eldest and in both himself and his wife._

"Glynda…" James murmured, holding her close and steadying her against him. "It's over, I promise."

She weakly nodded and curled into him, feeling physically and emotionally drained. Helping her to her feet knowing she was somewhat unsteady, James held her securely in his arms and continued to rub her back while she clutched his jacket and leaned heavily into him, burying her face in his chest. Sighing as he scooped her up into his arms, James gently carried her out of the room and out to his ship. Several minutes passed in silence, and the warm summer breeze did nothing to make things better. If anything, it made things worse. Even after they were in the ship and everything was supposedly alright, the tension and anxiety did not abate. Helping her sit down, he ran his fingers through his hair before speaking as gently as possible.

"Glynda, are you -" He started, his voice little more than a whisper.

"Mistral..." She said, her voice weak. "We need to head to Mistral."

James hesitated but nodded as he sat down next to her and wrapped an arm around her.

"I know," He agreed.

"Emmett and Emmeline are there, or at least will be tomorrow," She reminded him. "So are the others, and -"

"It's okay, you don't have to justify it," James told her before using his scroll to give the order to head for the Republic Of Mistral's capital city as well as informing Port and Oobleck of what they were doing. "You should rest."

"I know," Glynda whispered, wrapping herself around him. "But I..."

"I wish you did have to have done what you did either," James told her, massaging her arm. "I know that it wasn't something you wanted to do but...but if you hadn't taken the powers then who would have? Cate? Sam? Ivy? Lily?"

"I shouldn't be...I should be able to deal with this, I shouldn't feel...I suppose guilty about this but that doesn't change the fact that I killed someone," Glynda sighed heavily, struggling with her emotions because her logic was countering them. "I...I knew what I had to do, I knew why and yet..."

"It's okay," James promised her and she looked at him with wide eyes. "Glyns, it's okay for you to be unsure, for you to be -"

"I knew that I would have to do this!" She snapped as they felt the ship take off and begin to head towards Mistral. "I knew -"

"But you're human," James countered and she sighed as he stood up. "And you're an empathic person. I know that it repulses you what you did, and I know that it will haunt you but I'm still going to be here for you. You did what you had to, and an incredibly evil woman is gone."

"She wasn't always evil though!" Glynda exclaimed, collapsing backwards into the bed. "I remember what she was before and she was troubled, scarred, and a little power hungry but she wasn't evil! What she did overwrote whatever good she ever did in her life but that doesn't mean that -"

"Glyns, calm down, I know," James said gently. "That's why Emmett could never bring himself to actually kill her though he had had so many chances to. Look, I know this is stressful…but I think that if you hadn't killed her in part because of her having the other half of the powers of the Fall Maiden that you wouldn't be like this. I think you would probably still be bothered that you had to kill someone, but I also think that you wouldn't feel like you had done so for power."

"But I did," She protested weakly as a spike headache began to rise in her. "I..."

"Glynda," James said, kneeling on the cool floor beside her. "We can talk about this later but for now...for now just try and relax. You're alive, you're fine, I'm fine...I'm right here next to you, and..." Taking her hand in his, he sighed as he kissed her forehead. "Glynda Anne Goodwitch, I love you no matter what. It's going to be okay. We're one step closer to defeating her and then maybe, just maybe, we can settle into some sort of relative peace."

"Jamie -" Glynda began though he cut her off with a soft kiss to her lips.

"I love you," He promised. "I love you, I love our children, and I'm going to continue to love and protect the four of you no matter what."

"I love you too..." Glynda said, looking at him for a moment before kissing him again. "I'm sorry..."

"I'm right here," James murmured, squeezing her hand. "And I'm not leaving."

Glynda smiled weakly. "Good."

**Author's Note: Hello my lovelies! I hope you enjoyed this chapter and its' fights. I won't be updating for a little while after this, though, because I tore my knee. Ballet is dangerous, kids.**

**~xoxo Semblance **


	67. Thine Is The Queendom

**_June 15th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_3:21 PM_**

"Oh, hell yeah!" Yang yelled, pumping her fists in the air and jumping off the couch onto her knees, the string-less plastic guitar in her hands. "Super solo!"

She started thrashing about like a madman and kept smacking the buttons while Ruby beat the faux plastic drums wildly and Weiss, beside her, awkwardly tapped on the string-less, plastic bass guitar.

"I love this song!" Nora shrieked, entering the room with Ren and Jaune. "It's –"

"Isn't this the Atlesian 'fuck you world' song?" Jaune asked, glancing to Ren who merely shrugged.

"That would be the one that's chorus screams: Atlas! Fuck yeah!" Yang screamed at him. "This isn't –"

Weiss suddenly paused the game upon a portal opening up at the other end of the room. A nervous moment passed in anticipation and then, first, Raven flew out of the portal. Qrow came into the room upon hearing a crash and glowered at his sister when she landed and shifted back. She was followed no more than thirty seconds later by Emmett and Emmeline (who looked rather disgruntled) and Samara, who was sulking. By now, everyone in the small house had come into the room but they could not determine why the portal did not dissipate. Then, after far too long, Ozpin and Cristal stepped out as well and Annetta let out an excited shriek, relieved more than anything else to see her parents. She and her teammates were the only ones beside Qrow, and Glynda and James (who themselves had only arrived back on the twelfth) though, who were happy to see them. Ruby looked suddenly awkward, Yang took on the appearance of an angry rottweiler, and Weiss merely scowled at her uncle.

"Raven," Qrow said, his voice taking on an increasingly dark edge. "So: you took whatever deal it was that the Atlesians threw your way?"

Raven matched his glare. "I had to make a decision to protect my people. This has nothing to do with doing what you deem the right thing, and it certainly has nothing to do with supporting Ozpin."

As she said this, she turned towards the man and he did not meet her harrowing gaze.

"If you guys don't mind, we have a song to finish," Yang said, breaking the silence and getting odd looks for everyone as she turned off the pause from the game and began to metalcore scream the last several lines of the song they had been playing. "And y'all be sorry you ever messed with the greatest kingdom, 'cause we'll put a boot in your ass! It's the Atlesian way!"

Glynda sighed and shook her head, looking more than a little exasperated while James laughed a little and Emmett nearly fell over. Emmeline caught him, and Cristal rolled her eyes at her brother. Ozpin seemed more than a little confused by everything happening around them, something that was not helped by Yang thrashing about like she were at a metal concert. Samara and Lysithea were merely observing, thoroughly amused. Annetta was speaking softly and rapidly with her parents, which ended quickly upon Cristal tightly embracing her daughter and murmuring things about how she was relieved nothing had happened to her. Matt had gotten in on the action and had taken the drumsticks from Ruby, who was all but hanging off of Weiss.

"What next?" Yang eagerly asked, whipping around to look at everyone else.

"I have to ask," Emmett said, still trying to regain his composure. "What compelled you to want to scream that song?"

Yang grinned like a madman. "Umm…it's fucking awesome?"

"I hate that song," Glynda muttered.

"Guilty!" Emmett exclaimed, playfully swatting his teammate in the arm. "I probably played it so much it almost drove you crazy."

Glynda scowled. "After the attacks in 2001, country music went from the light-hearted drinking songs that you used to scream around campus in a shopping cart to songs about how Atlas will blow the shit out of the rest of the world while wearing flags as capes and flipping everyone off."

Emmett chuckled. "That is pretty accurate, all things considered."

"You're exaggerating a little," Emmeline said, raising an eyebrow off the look James senet her. "What? She definitely is –"

"She actually did sum it up pretty well," He told her. "Glyns has hated country music since the girls were born, and it had nothing to do with them."

"So, I have to ask," Qrow said, taking a long swig from his flask. "Being serious, now that Yang and Schnee are done being dumbasses –"

"Hey!" Yang protested. "I'm nothing like Emmett!"

"Says the girl who was shrieking about Atlas," Qrow snorted. "But, hey, I don't make the rules around here."

Yang, feeling particularly childish, stuck her tongue out at her uncle and tried not to smile when she saw her mother kick him in the back of the knees, causing him to fall over.

"The hell was that for, Raven?" Qrow snapped, still on the floor and looking particularly irritable. "You still on one 'bout Tai or are you just still an insufferable –"

"Just be glad I showed up," She said, storming off down the hall.

Qrow scowled at everyone left in the room and waved at the kids with his arm, suggesting, rather bluntly based off his look, to get out. They did so to varying degrees of grudgingly. Nora pouted and grabbed Ren by the hand. He was temporarily startled but didn't protest much to her dragging him off with her, presumably to go into town where he would have to dissuade her from shoplifting coffee or candy or any number of things. Jaune awkwardly followed after them, almost getting knocked over by Yang, who tore after them, evidently having enjoyed the last time they had all gone out. Ruby and Weiss shared a look, for just a moment, and then, with almost perfect grace and poise, stepped out of the room with an arm wrapped around the other. Team SAML was the most reluctant, and all four of them stayed exactly where they had been, much to Qrow's annoyance. Matt Ciel was sitting on the top of the couch, his arms crossed, and, near him, Lysithea was calmly staring at the ceiling. Samara was sitting on one of the many bean bags with a look that suggested she was ready to fight anyone who wanted to fight her, and Annetta was all but clinging to her mother, who was stroking her hair affectionately, deeply worried for her younger daughter.

"I said get out," Qrow said angrily.

Cristal pointedly stepped on his foot with her heel, and he howled in pain.

"Bitch," He coughed out.

"Qrow," Ozpin started, a faint warning note to his voice. "If you –"

"Your wife just all but stabbed me in the foot!" Qrow rubbed his throbbing foot, glaring at Cristal. "If anyone's got a problem here, it's her and not me."

Emmeline snorted. "That's rich."

"Oh, I'm sorry General Ciel," Qrow said, rolling his eyes. "I forgot that you have the final say around here…or do you and James have that only in Atlas?"

James and Emmeline both tensed at the remark.

"That isn't how that works," James said calmly, sending Qrow a look that suggested he stop before he said something he regretted. "The Atlesian Council is fundamentally built on a set of checks and balances between the legislature, executive departments, and the courts, which –"

"Tell that to Ronnie Ciel, then," Qrow pushed himself off the ground and pulled out his flask, taking another drink from it. "I don't think he knows that. Morell either."

"What are you talking about?" Ozpin asked, glancing to his wife for a moment and, noticing her tension, gave her a loving squeeze and pressed a soft kiss to her cheek.

"I mean that he did somethin' with the Amity satellite and didn't tell us about it," Qrow gruffly replied, turning to Matt who had been shifting uncomfortably the whole time. "You happen to know something about that because of your mom or does Karissa not let anything slip?"

Matt bit his lip. "She just said they launched it early and that it wasn't a big deal…and dad says she did the right thing supporting that decision since we're preparing to…"

He trailed off and immediately stared down at his hands, fearing he had said too much.

"Does Karissa know?" Qrow said after a moment, looking at James. "Well?"

"After Beacon fell, I needed people I knew I could trust," He said, sighing. "And, with Oz not being in a position to guide us, I had to come up with a new approach to handling Salem."

Qrow turned on Glynda, who had a hand lightly resting over James' shoulder. He barely even met her gaze before he realized that she, too, had been involved.

"I'm going to go out on a limb here and say that Emmeline and Emmett are roped in on whatever the hell this is too," Qrow said, scowling at all of them. "So, what's –"

"We're going to tell everyone the truth," Cristal bit off suddenly. "Without people knowing what we're really up against, what is spewing on everything, we can't do a damn thing."

Ozpin looked almost incredulous. "Are you serious?" He said. "Chrissy, this could –"

"If we'd been forthright from the start, it would have been a hell of a lot easier to manage what happened at Beacon," Emmeline cut across him, and Cristal seemed almost relieved for it. "To be honest, it could have even been prevented."

"You're all out of your minds," Qrow said, glaring at everyone in the room except Ozpin. "How is it that you all can turn your backs on Ozpin –"

"They're…right," He said quietly. "After all this time…after so many people have lost their lives…I can't justify it anymore…not without continuing to lie."

Qrow shook his head. "Well," He said, more annoyed with the Ciels and James than anyone else. "What else is new?"

"Cinder's dead," Glynda said, briefly closing her eyes for a moment and activating her powers. "I'm, now, the Fall Maiden."

A heavy silence fell over them and then lightning struck from the storm outside. It startled all of them, but only hurt one. While Annetta slowly sunk into one of the beanbags, feeling slightly dizzy as a psychic moment began to overtake her, the room fell quiet and everything seemed normal for a moment. Emmett had, on impulse, pulled Emmeline tightly into him and was rubbing her back and whispering to her almost incomprehensibly while Glynda took a small step back, fearing for a moment that she had done something, and James gently took her hand. One of the windows was still half-open, and Cristal moved quickly to close it but, as lightning struck twice, something shifted in the energy around them and she slipped. Her heartbeat began to accelerate, her head was throbbing painfully and then, without warning, everything went dark and seemed to be getting further and further away. The last thing she could perceive until late the next morning was Ozpin rushing to her side and barely catching her before she fell to the floor unconscious with the faint blue, tell-tale sparks marring her eyes.

* * *

**_June 20th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:37 PM_**

The music in the truck was so damn loud that it was causing it to shake, which, for Roman Torchwick, was both an annoyance and a welcome reminder that his life was not over. He still did not quite know how he survived the battle of Beacon. The last thing that he consciously recalled was fighting that damn kid with her cape and her scythe and Neo jumping in front of him before the kid could deal a fatal blow. Then, what he had thought to be an eternity later, he found himself, dirtied and exhausted, in a car with Neo, a slightly odd boy with messy green hair and a tattoo on his jaw that read "daddy's little monster," and a young woman he had instantly recognized by her resemblance to her father. Gina May Adel. The youngest child of Atlas' own Blake and Allison Adel, who was scarcely spoken of because she had packed her bags and left at the age of sixteen in protest against some asinine plan of her father's regarding something with in the Atlesian Department of Justice, a department Blake Adel had long since been the director of.

And, now, the four of them were in a truck that had just crossed into the city limits of downtown Atlas. The capital city of the so-called greatest kingdom, and, indisputably by every other kingdom, the capital of the free world. Oh, Atlas was well known for its power, for the freedoms its people had, but it was also known for slimy politics, and, generally, the better looking the senator, the more disgusting they were as human beings. It wasn't just the impossible-to-track five hundred some odd total of representatives and senators in the Atlesian legislature that drove Roman crazy, it was the people in the executive departments, some of them better known than others. He hated the kingdom he had once called home with an unsurpassable fury and, yet, he knew that the plan Neo had explained to them (through Gina, of course) was what they needed to survive. After all, he sure as hell didn't want to have to fight the fucking child again and lose.

_"Well, well, if it isn't Little Red!" Roman had taunted when Ruby had forced her way into his ship. Her scythe was unfolded and she was holding it tightly. "Fun fact: I just blew up General Ironwood's ship!"_

_Ruby had scowled at him. "What's the point of all of this? Are you trying to kill us all –"_

_"Kill us all?" Roman had burst out into almost uncontrollable laughter. "No, quite the opposite. I'm going to keep doing what I do best: lie, steal, cheat, and –"_

_Ruby had suddenly cut him off by darting at him with her semblance, and she managed to knock him to the ground with a swift kick and a strike from her scythe. Roman fell over, wheezing with Melodic Cudgel in hand, and he started swearing. He had been beaten up by this fucking child before, but she had never expended the full force of her semblance on him either and it hurt like all hell. He was back on his feet quickly and used the grappling hook on one end of his cane to grab her by the cape. She shrieked and began to flail her limbs wildly, managing to kick him down again when he tried to start taunting her again. Roman shot at her, but he kept missing and her darting about the ship only got faster and faster. It was distorting his vision and making him dizzy but, much to his amusement, an opportunity presented itself when she attempted to tie him up and instead found herself slamming into Neo._

_The pink and white haired girl looked at her angrily and kicked her in the stomach with her high heels, an act which temporarily broke open Ruby's aura. It would restore itself soon enough, that was something both Roman and Neo knew all too well, but in the moment it was perfect. Roman sauntered over towards her while Neo pulled her sword out of her umbrella and kept it threateningly under Ruby's chin, pointed right at the center of her neck. He motioned for Neo to step aside once he reached the small girl, and she did so with a sadistic smirk that could have surpassed even the Joker himself. Roman, for his part, bent down and sarcastically patted Ruby's cheek with an otherwise fatherly smile. She tried to punch him, but her own vision was hazy as her aura quickly worked to repair itself and she missed with no chance of ever having smacked him._

_"You really are hard to manage, aren't cha?" Roman had laughed and began to smack at her with his cane. "I have to tell ya, I'm impressed. I doubted you could hold out long on your own and you've proved me wrong. Congratulations, kid, turns out you're not as shitty as I thought!"_

_Ruby had let out a small shriek and tried to pulse her aura at him but it was still too weak to do anything._

_"Well, ain't this funny?" Roman had tossed his hair back and adjusted his hat, laughing still. "Well, I guess that means I have no choice but to –"_

_A sudden, powerful blast of aura finally left Ruby's hands and knocked him backwards. He hit the wall hard, and he slid down looking dead. Neo was torn, for just a moment, between killing Ruby for harming Roman and getting him out of danger and, ultimately, she grabbed him and chose to escape. Ruby herself disappeared shortly after and it wasn't long before she witnessed something that would go on to haunt her for the rest of her life but, in that moment, she was never more relieved to be alive. She had always known that Torchwick was capable, that he was dangerous, but she had never thought she would end up in the danger she had been in just minutes before. Even long after that moment was past, she did not sleep well knowing that he could still be out there and, she was sure, had more than a little bit of intent to kill her._

"I like this song," Monster (as Roman called him) remarked in his deep, almost emotionless voice. "Sucka for pain. Yep, sounds 'bout right."

Roman rolled his eyes. "You really are a dumbass."

Monster turned towards him and activated his semblance to send a rather sharp electrical pulse right between Roman's eyebrows.

"God damn it!" He yelled upon it making contact. He immediately put his hand up to his head and began to rub it to try, in vain, to alleviate the burning sensation there. "The fuck is wrong with you?"

"You annoy me to no end, you know that?" Monster blew on his bangs irritably. "You better not fuck this up for us. If Lizzie Morell and Kari Mar wanna throw your ass in jail, then so fucking be it because better you than the rest of us."

Neo smacked him upside the head with her umbrella as she, rather recklessly, pulled the car into one of the many empty parking spots in the lot just outside the public building to the DFAMA. They had a meeting, or at least Gina did, with the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council and the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action. Roman had been dreading this since Gina had told them the plan. He didn't want to have to deal with anyone who would recognize him from his past, and he knew full well that Elizabeth Morell had no sympathy for him at all and would gladly be the one to sign, what he viewed to be, his death warrant. The purpose of the meeting was simple, and there was a strong chance it would work out in their favor, but it wasn't pretty.

They were demanding clemency in exchange for mercenary services to the Atlesian Council. All four of them were aware that they would have to capture and/or kill top terrorists and follow Atlesian law to the nth degree but, then again, it was a much better option than spending the rest of their lives in prison. They had taken a major risk by stepping onto Atlesian soil again, after everything all four of them had individually (and in Roman and Neo's case, together) done yet they knew it was what could be their saving grace. All of them had always worked for the highest bidder, after all, and, for as restrained as the Atlesian Council could be when it came to apportioning funds, Atlas could provide them quite a bit of wealth and luxury. There was nothing that Roman loved more than fine cigars, designer clothes, and brand new cars and, with the money he imagined they could gain from a deal with Atlas' government, it was just beneath his fingertips.

He couldn't help but pray, as they all finally stepped into the elevator up to the office of Elizabeth Morell (escorted by guards who were armed to the teeth and ready to kill any of them in the blink of an eye), that things worked out in their favor. He was vowing vengeance if it didn't and that vengeance would, of course, be in the form of blood. Roman relished in the idea of sticking it to the Schnees and, by extension, the Ciels but he was a man of reason and caution above all else. If it would not keep him alive, it had to be secondary. His care for his own life was far greater than any other force, and it dictated everything he did from where he went, how he acted, to even his beloved weapon. Nothing could get in the way of that and, still, when they stepped into the room, he couldn't help but flip off Karissa Mar who, when she was sure no one else would see, flipped him off herself with her hands clasped behind her back.

"This is…under unusual circumstances," Elizabeth finally said, her voice extremely clipped. "However, I understand the pretext for it and, given everything that has happened since the Fall of Beacon, I will consider that the four of you could be…useful under the proper pretense."

Gina snorted. "My dad get mad that I came home without saying hi?"

"That would be a separate issue," Elizabeth replied, raising an eyebrow upon Neo miming slitting Monster's throat. "Is she threatening us or him?"

"Him," Roman said shortly. "None of us particularly like him. We call him Monster, 'cause of his tattoo."

Elizabeth and Karissa shared a noticeably concerned look at the remark, feeling rather uncomfortable with the people they had begrudgingly agreed to meet with in the first place.

"My real name is Marshall," He growled, pushing Neo aside who looked rather disgruntled. "They're just assholes, all things considered."

"It says here that the four of you have requested clemency," Elizabeth went on, ignoring everything they had just said. "In exchange for providing…mercenary skills to the Atlesian Council?"

"Yes," Gina said with a charming smile. "If y'all pay us enough, then we'll kill whoever you want us to."

Karissa raised an eyebrow and nervously adjusted her glasses.

"Is that what you think we want you to do?" She pressed. "Or is that what you want us to use your skill sets for?"

"Both," Roman said, shrugging but then wincing from the pain in his shoulders. "We got a deal or not? We'll take whatever –"

Gina stomped harshly on his foot and Neo scowled at her while Marshall-Monster started laughing.

"We will draw up contracts today," Karissa finally said, clicking her pen shut. "And we will have another meeting tomorrow afternoon to officially decide how we will ultimately handle this situation."

Elizabeth nodded, sending all four of the criminals a pointed look.

"Watch your step," She sharply warned them. "And don't let the door smack any of you on the ass on the way out."


	68. The Phoenix Reborn

**_June 24th_**

**_Anima_**

**_9:38 PM_**

Vernal flicked another stick away casually, scowling at the people who had caught up to her the day before. She hated every minute she spent with them, and she almost cursed Raven for splitting up the tribe. They were all going to be less protected until they reconvened and, for all she trusted Raven, she could not trust Atlas for the life of her. Everything that she had known had been stripped away by Atlesians when the fucking Schnee Dust Company had fucking killed her parents in a fucking mining "accident" in fucking Lowell. Vernal had held a bitterness ever since. She was Mistrali born and raised but she had spent her teen years (just before meeting Raven, as fate would have it) in Atlas while her parents worked in SDC mines in the north eastern part of the kingdom. Vernal knew now that, under Jacques, the SDC had taken advantage of millions of immigrants seeking work as well as the faunus, and she detested every bit of it. It gave her no small amount of satisfaction to know that Jacques Gelè was now on trial for malpractice and would, in a few weeks, be officially divorced from his wife with no right to visitation. It was news to the whole world that the fate of one of the most important energy conglomerates was in the balance and it had raised more than a few eyebrows worldwide, Vernal's included.

"So," She said dryly, chewing on the edge of a stick. "Any word on your boss? The one that supposedly wants all of us captured to force Raven out of hiding?"

Arthur Watts snorted and glared at her. "No," He said venomously. "And, speaking of Raven, have you received any word from your mistress?"

"Of course not," Vernal snapped, wondering to herself how long she'd be able to keep up the charade. She knew it was only a matter of time before they figured out she had no idea where Raven was, and she feared that, when that time came, they would kill her for it. "Although I can imagine that -"

"Shut up," Watts hissed as an Atlesian ship came into view. "I recognize those ships. That's Atlesian Military -"

"The hell would anyone in the Atlas Military be doing in Mistral?" Vernal demanded despite having a strong idea as to why. "No, really, tell me -"

"It's landing in the city," Mercury said, motioning them to creep closer. "Let's see who it is."

Emerald perked up at that last and slid off her headphones with a hopeful look on her face that bit Mercury in the ass.

"Cinder!" She chirped.

"We don't know that for sure," Watts told her condescendingly. "After all, it could be President Ciel."

"What would someone as important as him want to do with Mistral unless it was strictly political? He wouldn't do subterfuge for that and it would be public knowledge if there were a diplomatic meeting scheduled," Vernal snapped at them and Emerald and Mercury both took a step back in case she decided to use her "maiden powers". "It's probably just a routine drill coming back in."

"Shush," Watts said as they crept up towards the city's edge and watched as, to their shock, General Ironwood and Glynda Goodwitch left the ship with several guards around the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, Elizabeth Morell.

"Glynda Goodwitch?" Watts murmured. "I thought she was supposed to be dead."

"No..." Emerald said, realizing that if Glynda were perfectly fine that there was no way that Cinder was. "No!"

"Emerald," Mercury said, grabbing her by the wrist and shoving one of the aura blocking cuffs onto it to prevent her from using her semblance. "Emerald, I -"

"Cinder...no, she can't be! Glynda's supposed to be dead!" Emerald screamed, sobbing into Mercury as he dragged her off quickly through the woods. "She was supposed to die and –"

The screaming from Emerald slowly became quieter and, through that time, Vernal and Watts watched with equal disdain. Further down and throwing her over his shoulder, Mercury continued to pick up speed as he ran in a singular direction with no intention of stopping until they reached where they had set up camp in one of the abandoned villages of Mistral. Seeing the still lit fires, Mercury brought her into the camp and set her down gently. After a time, Mercury finally wrapped an arm tightly around Emerald as she began to cry, horrified by Glynda's survival because she knew that it meant that Cinder had not. Through her sobs, though, she felt her drive to destroy Haven Academy grow if only to honor what Cinder had been working towards.

"Emerald," Mercury began with caution. "What are you thinking about?"

"Why did that woman have to live?" Emerald screeched, scaring birds that had been rustling in the trees above. "I'm not in this for Salem! I'm in this for Cinder because I owe her everything, including my life! I was a truant orphan before she took me in and -"

"I agree, it sucks," Mercury said, bothered more so that Watts would now be in charge. "It also makes me want Torchwick and Neo back, but they're gone and who knows where they could be now. Hell, they're probably dead."

"No, no, no," Emerald whimpered, curling into herself. "She's going to be so angry when she realizes Cinder's dead. I can't...I can't -"

"It's going to be alright, it's not your fault," Mercury told her, embracing her again. "And I think we can all take comfort in the fact that we're going to still bring about Haven's fall. After all, we still have the White Fang, and we have Vernal -"

"But without Cinder -" Emerald protested.

Mercury pressed a finger to her lips to silence her words. "Even without Cinder, we can make Haven fall," He said with finality. "Don't you want that?"

"Of course!" Emerald exclaimed, shocked that he had even considered that she didn't. "I just -"

"I get it, Cinder meant a lot to you," Mercury sighed as he shook his head. "She saved you from the streets, she saved me from abuse, she helped Neo who, honestly, I never figured out if I think she's super cute or super creepy -"

"Mercury…" Emerald said, her voice breaking. "I know you're trying, but you're not helping. I -"

"What is going on here?" Vernal demanded as she came into the temporary camp with Watts following her. "I thought I told all of you that if you want my help you need to behave like adults and not children, or did you all forget about that?"

Mercury turned towards her and crossed his arms but he didn't say anything. Emerald, however, glared.

"Do you even care?" She snapped. "Do you even care that Cinder's -"

"It doesn't really affect me," Vernal told her, mimicking her glare perfectly. "After all, I'm not one of you kids."

"But you are in our trust," Watts commented slyly and she snapped her fingers as a threat she knew was empty although they did not. "Never mind."

"To get that Relic for Salem, you need me," Vernal reminded them. "And I am not going to stay if you all can't pull yourselves together. So, how are we going to attack Haven Academy?"

"The same way we were going to," Mercury said. "Minus Cinder, of course. We're going to plant a trap, and we're going to take advantage of it. Besides, we're all powerful. And we can still kill Qrow and, maybe, we can avenge Cinder."

"I...I..." Emerald began, squeezing his hand tightly. "I want her back! I can believe that that huntress killed her!"

"That huntress is a killer, remember?" Mercury said, rubbing her arm. "That huntress has blood on her hands for gaining power. I promise that we'll still take our allies to Haven and kill her. It's not murder if it's justified."

"I know that," Emerald sniffed. "Cinder never murdered or hurt anyone. She always had a justification."

"Exactly," Mercury said with a smile. "And we'll take back what is ours, and Salem will bring about their downfall."

"I hope so," Emerald said with determination beginning to rise in her. "And we can take out the Schnees too."

"The Schnees are a major threat," Mercury agreed.

Watts scoffed. "Without Jacques' power and influence, they can't do anything and, I'm afraid, he has lost that back home."

"Lady Branwen will not kill a child or an innocent," Vernal stated firmly. "And I will not permit it. I will protect the...innocents among them, if there are any."

"There's no reason -" Emerald began though Vernal held up a finger menacingly.

"Out of the question, do not test me."

"But they -"

"Shut up, Emerald!" Vernal snapped. "If Lady Branwen or I judge any of them to be innocent, they will live and that's final."

Emerald crossed her arms and looked away. "Fine."

"And don't you dare try anything," Vernal warned her. "Or I will make sure that Lady Branwen will bring consequences of the utmost severity."

* * *

**_June 30th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_7:37 PM_**

"I swear to God," Elizabeth began, walking into the room to the surprise of everyone but Glynda and James, still looking at her scroll. "If Ozpin is being cryptic, then I'm going to -"

Looking up, Elizabeth froze when she realized that they were all staring at her and she clenched her fists when she saw Raven, who looked faintly amused to see her. Tai wrapped an arm around his wife and the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council sent her husband's ex a glare that she returned. Sighing, Glynda adjusted her glasses and James shared a look with Emmett and Emmeline, both of whom seemed to be anticipating a fight. Ozpin sighed, Cristal gently set a hand to his shoulder, and Yang, like Elizabeth, glared at her biological mother. At the same time, Matt forced himself to not start biting his nails while his teammates tried to take in the scene. Near him, Nora was trying not to react like Qrow, Ren had calmly crossed his arms, Jaune seemed particularly uncomfortable, and Ruby buried her face in her cape. Weiss sat down beside her and gently rubbed Ruby's back, while she tried to find a clear side to take in the fight they all knew was impending. It wasn't until Ozpin spoke that Ruby awkwardly peeked out from under her cape.

"Madame Morell," Ozpin said as calmly and respectfully as he could muster. "This is quite unexpected but nonetheless welcome. I believe this means that all of the members of our group besides Leo, Rose, Theodore, and Ronnie are now present."

"Yes and especially our fearless, saint like leader," Elizabeth commented dryly, scowling at Cristal. "I think it goes without saying that Ozpin's been keeping more than a few secrets from us. Cristal too."

An uneasy silence passed before Qrow spoke.

"Eliza, look," He said, taking a swig from his flask. "Everyone has their secrets."

"Yes, and it seems that some of us have more so than others," Elizabeth retorted, her glare still on Ozpin. "So, Oz," She said, her voice starting to shake. "When were you going to tell us what could happen to Ruby if Salem were to get her hands on her?"

Ozpin stared before shaking his head.

"Madame Morell," He said calmly. "I can assure you that Ruby is not a weapon -"

"You're a liar and a hypocrite," Elizabeth snapped, her voice shaking. "Because I personally looked into some of the...legends about silver eyed warriors and I had a few people on the council come forward with information for what they know -"

"Who else on the council knows about any of this?" Emmeline asked, genuinely surprised. "I thought that it was just —"

"You know Karissa had it figured out ten years ago," Elizabeth told her, tiredly shaking her head. "Now, of all people, she was the last one I had expected though I suppose it explained some of her oddly personal hatred of your sister-in-law. But, since we're going to tell the world anyways, who knows is well beyond the point. Karissa handed over some of her and Spencer's...personal research into Salem and her history to me and it turns out that Ruby's not the first silver eyed warrior that Ozpin's taken advantage of and I'll be damned before I assume she's the last."

"Elizabeth, I have had to make some difficult decisions in the past -" Ozpin began though the woman only glared.

"Her mother, for instance?" Elizabeth suggested.

The room fell silent once again. Cristal started to fidget with her wedding ring, looking rather uncomfortable, while Ozpin loosely wrapped an arm around her. Glynda and James shared a knowing look, one that suggested they had some idea of what had happened to Summer for awhile. Emmett chewed at the inside of his cheek and nervously pushed up his glasses. Beside him, Emmeline tensed despite herself and all of them seemed to be anticipating a fight. Even Tai seemed ill at ease, although why that was could have been debated, considering both how angry Elizabeth was and Tai's tendency to justify her and, on rare occasions, disagree with his wife. Qrow, however, didn't give a damn either way and stood up violently, looking particularly affronted.

"That's going too far, Eliza," Qrow snapped. "I don't care that you're the fucking chair of the Atlesian National Security Council! Don't you dare -"

"You used Summer Rose?" Raven exclaimed in sheer horror, staring at Ozpin who merely sighed. "You let Ashlynn Schnee kill her?"

"I did not 'let Ashlynn Schnee kill her'," Ozpin said though everyone except his wife was glaring at him. "I sent her and Qrow out on an investigative mission, one that was intended to -"

"What's wrong with you?" Emmeline demanded, standing up in her artificial 5'6'' and adjusting her strappy heels. "No, really, tell me. Tell us. How is that you can take people's lives for your purposes and still be able to live with yourself? What is your plan anyway? Are we going to ambush Salem to death? Are we going to...are we...there is no defeating Salem, is there?"

Raven nodded and gave the Atlesian general a shockingly grateful look.

"Tell us the truth, Oz," She said venomously. "Has there ever been a chance or are we all just pawns in this asinine game of yours or -"

"Shut up Raven!" Elizabeth shouted, clenching her fists while Raven only raised an eyebrow with an ever so faint smirk. "Even if you're right," Elizabeth went on, struggling to regain her composure. "No wants to hear you say it or -"

"So if it was anyone else you would be fine?" Raven countered and Elizabeth took in a sharp breath while Tai pulled her closer. "You're nothing more than a jealous -"

"Mom!" Yang snapped, crossing her arms as she moved towards her mother. "Stop it! It's not as if you don't keep secrets from us either, or is there something you have to tell us?"

Raven flinched despite her better judgement "That's for my own protection." She said, knowing they were all, perhaps even righteously, angry with her.

"Might I ask what you're referring to, Raven?" Ozpin asked and she sighed. "Raven, do you have the Spring Maiden as Qrow says you do?"

Raven didn't respond but, in her rage, Yang did.

"Fuck that," The girl said darkly. "She is the Spring Maiden."

A beat passed in utter silence that was more painful than any of them had expected it to be.

"You're the Spring Maiden?" Qrow eventually growled, and his sister intentionally activated her maiden powers to capitulate on the point.

"Yes, I am!" Raven shouted, her eyes sparking. "And -"

"How?" Cristal asked her, confused before anything else. "And how long have you -"

"About thirteen years," Raven told him and she and Ozpin stared at her while Raven herself glared at Ozpin. "And I learned about that time the same thing that dear Emmeline seems to have figured out: there is no beating Salem!"

"You're afraid of her!" Elizabeth snapped and Raven turned to face her. "You only act powerful, don't you? You're just a weak little child, aren't you?"

"I am not weak!" Raven roared, her eyes still sparking. "I have survived because I am strong enough to, because I -"

"You're such a hypocrite, maybe you're even worse than Ozpin is," Tai said but he sighed when he realized how harsh that was. "Raven, what happened to you? You weren't like this -"

"You don't know me, not anymore," Raven angrily replied. "And I know you don't care about me anymore either."

Tai hesitated before sharing a look with his eldest daughter.

"You were the one who left us," He said.

"I didn't -" Raven protested.

Tai shook his head. "For everything you've done, for everything you are...you still hurt our family and I've moved on. I have Eliza, Yang, and Violet. Besides, it seems like -"

"Shut up, Tai," Raven said, her maiden powers fizzling off. "You don't understand anything about me."

"Yeah, no one does," Yang told her with a tinge of regret. "Because you don't let us."

"I...I..." Raven began before closing her eyes for a moment and taking in a sharp breath. "That's not true."

"I'd be willing to bet Yang's right," Emmett muttered.

Raven smacked him across the face, sending his glasses flying. Everyone stared at her in shock, furthermore when she stormed out of the room in a huff.

"So, then we have three of the four maidens," Ozpin eventually said, sighing heavily. "We have Glynda, Raven, and Chrissy...which means that -"

"We're at great risk," Elizabeth scowled at him. "All because of you."

"That isn't completely accurate," James said, crossing his arms. "Regardless, we may not have the strength to –"

"Oh, what do you know about strength?" Qrow challenged and they all scowled at him. "After all, I'm sure you all have had a very cozy existence back in Atlas -"

"Qrow!" James said, anger rising in him. "You don't know anything about my family or the things -"

"Oh, fuck you!" Qrow snapped. "You all are trying to avoid fighting Salem when –"

"The feeling is mutual, you know," Emmett said quietly and they all stared at him in surprise. "So what if Ash is gone? So what if three of the maidens are against her? Tell me, Oz, how many people have died for you and this cause?"

"More than should have," Ozpin admitted and Emmeline sighed, taking Emmett's hand tightly in her own. "And I don't fault any of you in feeling that way because, in many ways, they are correct. It shouldn't be this way but I can't change the way things are."

"But is it possible to defeat Salem or not?" Elizabeth demanded, clinging to Tai. "Well?"

Ozpin hung his head before responding. "I am not sure. I would like to believe so and I have toiled relentlessly for years but that doesn't mean that I do not feel discouraged by the amount of setbacks I have faced. I also know that...that I have only sacrificed people's lives but I have also hurt those that I love. Especially...especially..." Looking to Cristal who forced herself to meet his gaze though she looked particularly anxious, Ozpin finished. "Especially Chrissy and our children. I am sorry for everything that I have caused, but I do believe that we have to fight her."

"We can win," Ruby said, looking to her father who nodded. "It's not as if Salem's power is unlimited. If we fight together, we can succeed."

"Ruby," Elizabeth began gently, looking to her adoptive stepdaughter. "You know that if this goes to hell that you could die, right?"

The girl bit her lip but nodded. "That doesn't mean we shouldn't fight."

"Are we all staying?" Ozpin asked, and, slowly, everyone eventually nodded or murmured in assent. "Alright then. Let us discuss are plans to defend Haven Academy."

Qrow chortled as he took a sip from his flask. "What I want to hear is how Glynda killed a psychotic bitch that had it in for her."

The forty-four-year-old huntress scowled. "You can shut up now."

"You wish I would," Qrow replied with a causal smirk. "You wish."


	69. Magnetic Field

**_June 21st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:45 PM_**

Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch was alone, in her apartment, and she was cold. Her scroll was open on her bed beside her, and the door was closed while the window was open to let the soft summer breeze in. It did little to make her feel better. Her so-called gift was giving her hell – not that it hadn't her entire life – and she knew it was because she had been trying to exercise it to gain some semblance of control. She had no control over her gift, it seemed, and she never had any control over her semblance. It seemed, even when she was screaming, that there were times that even when she knew she could be more than heard that no one could hear or see her. It was almost as if she had no place in the future. She was still struggling to reconcile, she knew, her feelings and it was hell.

Her friends – even Samara – thought her gift was lighter than she herself perceived it as. Ivan, one of her sister's co-workers and someone she had known since she was seventeen, had remarked that if she could control her gift that she would win every game of battleship ever, and Samara had told her that it would prove to be a blessing, that she would be able to plan ahead and have better control over her own destiny. The word destiny, as it happened, was a word Caitlin hated. She personally believed that her destiny had always been to die younger than she should – whether by her hand or someone else's – and it terrified her. She had already had her life threatened before (long before Adam, even) and she didn't want to reminisce.

So, now, she was alone. Her cat was the only consolation she had in the moment. The tiny little tortoiseshell cat was laying at her feet and purring but it did little, then, to make her feel better. She felt like shit and she was afraid, in that moment, that she was exactly what so many people had always accused her of being: a rich girl that had gone too far and relied entirely on her parents' money or connections or status. She tried to tell herself that the fact she had just finished another semester at university and was almost to law school proved that to be wrong but the words of people who had been accusing her so much her entire life persisted and made her feel awful. Sighing heavily, she let herself fall backward against her bed and she stared up at the ceiling. She was tired, to say the very least, and she felt like she was drowning. There was a faint throbbing headache that seemed to be beating her senseless. The mirror on the wall was partially shattered. She had smacked it by accident, putting her jewelry away after work, yet it felt cathartic.

"Fuck…" She muttered, tugging her blanket tightly around herself.

She startled upon hearing the door to her apartment open but she felt silly when she saw her cat was unfazed. The little animal had always been possessed of a keen intuition and Caitlin trusted it to verify her own. Hearing the door quietly click shut afterwards only eased her more. She didn't move from where she was, however, deciding to wait. Besides, she was exhausted and in some semblance of emotional turmoil. The last thing she had was motivation. Less than a minute passed, and then she heard the door to her room gently click open. She glanced up to see Spencer, who raised an eyebrow and looked genuinely concerned when he reached up to adjust his glasses and then run a hand through his shaggy hair. Her cat meowed happily upon seeing him and ran over to the other side of the room to sit at her food bowl. Spencer laughed weakly, and bent down to pet the little cat before shaking her (obviously full) food bowl.

"Your mom wanted me to check up on you," He finally told her, straightening up and leaning against the doorframe. "Sounds like Glynda's worried about you. Honestly, 'Rissa and I are too."

Caitlin sighed heavily. "I'm okay," She said. "I just needed some time alone."

"A week alone or basically alone is a long time," Spencer countered. "And I'm willing to bet you haven't eaten much."

She scowled but didn't argue.

"Or gotten sunlight," Spencer added. "What have you been up to?"

"Running, sleeping, showering, light shopping, and Halo," She replied. "I really am okay."

"Well, either way, get dressed, brush your hair, and put in shoes because I'm making you get out of here," Spencer laughed when she threw a pillow at him. "I have a class to teach for Emmett — curse him — and I thought you'd enjoy correcting people."

Caitlin giggled weakly. "Just me correcting dumbasses while you teach?"

Spencer nodded. "Ivy's on paid leave with Hope, remember?"

Caitlin shrugged. "Just asking. It might bring back bad memories of me correcting her as a child."

Spencer smirked. "And you can tell her thanks for giving me this idea in the first place."

* * *

**_June 22nd_**

**_Mistral_**

**_6:32 PM_**

"Look, are you sure you're not -" Qrow began though the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council raised a finger to silence him.

"No, I am not overreacting though I thank you for the concern," Elizabeth snapped. "Leonardo Lionheart is not on our side, I can almost guarantee you, but -"

"Oh come on," Qrow said, rolling his eyes and drinking the questionable liquid from his flask. "I think it'd be pretty obvious if Leo weren't on our side."

"I cannot believe I'm saying this, but did you hear a damn word Raven said?" Elizabeth angrily demanded. "Well?"

"Yeah, I did," Qrow said irritably, glaring at his sister. "And I think she's just trying to divide us. Something you ought to know, Eliza."

"The hell would I -" Raven began before Elizabeth could object.

"I don't know, maybe something to do with the tribe?" Qrow scoffed. "It wouldn't be a surprise, anyways."

"Look, what I was saying is that I don't trust Leo," Elizabeth said, forcing herself to not start yet another row with Raven. "But I also don't think that that is cause enough immediately start questioning him directly. Until I have evidence -"

"Until you have evidence?" Qrow stared at her incredulously. "You?"

Elizabeth crossed her arms haughtily. "Yes, me. I'm the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, an integral part of the Atlesian Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action under which this matter would –"

"Look, you can play with diplomacy all day and night," Emmeline said tiredly Elizabeth examined her nails to avoid looking at her. "But this isn't productive."

"I think she just wants an excuse to fight Raven," Qrow said, rolling his eyes. "Or a reason to rescind whatever deal you all made."

"That's not - " Elizabeth began though she knew it was true and so did the others. "Okay, so fine," She said, huffing. "Raven, I don't like you, I don't trust you -"

"I don't care," Raven said, sounding almost bored. "Get over yourself."

"I...I...I..." Elizabeth stuttered, unsure of how to respond. "Bitch."

"That's the best insult you can come up with?" Raven asked her, starting to laugh like a maniac. "I guess you really are -"

"Raven!" Tai snapped, pulling the slightly shaky Elizabeth into him. "Stop it!"

"Why?" Raven asked though she rolled her eyes and leaned against the counter. "Look, I am not the only person who thinks that there's something off about Leo. This has been deliberated on for years, and I know that, at the very least, Emmett, Emmeline, Glynda, and James agree with me -"

"You know that Emmett and Cristal's sister killed for power too, don't you?" Elizabeth asked, intentionally trying to anger the red-eyed woman for the sake of making a point. "That was why we had to transfer the remainder of Amber's powers into Glynda -"

"Yes, I'm aware," Raven said silkily, her eyes narrowing with every word she spoke. "So: do tell me how forcible aura transfer is more ethical than what I did? The girl was never going to survive as the maiden and what I did was -"

"Wrong," Elizabeth said before she could say anything else. "It was wrong."

Raven snorted. "Yes, and that's coming from the woman who was involved with Cinder Fall and her plans for nearly a year…something which almost killed poor Emmeline here and had something to do with the chaos after her father's -"

"That's not fair, nor is it true!" Elizabeth shouted. "I was coerced, I was -"

"I've read the court transcripts, you don't need to tell me," Raven told her irritably. "And all I'm saying is that, no matter what kind of situation you were in, you gave in and -"

"And you wouldn't?" Elizabeth challenged, still yelling. "You wouldn't cave if death were being held over your head like candy and you were being tortured, beaten, and -"

"Of course I wouldn't cave!" Raven snapped. "I wouldn't have risked getting into a situation like that in the first place and, at the end of the day, I -"

"All you do is run away, isn't it?" Elizabeth said, shaking as she clenched her fists and Raven looked away. "When are you going to turn your back on all of us? When are you going to become a traitor like I know you are? Because, if that's your endgame, none of us -"

"That is going too far!" Raven screamed, fighting against her powers as the Spring Maiden. "I am not -"

"I don't have to remind you that to do so would be a violation of Atlesian law," Elizabeth snippily put in, much to the discomfort of everyone else in the room, all of whom had been watching everything unfold and hadn't either the motivation or the chance to stop it. "A crime for which you would be brought before the courts due to violation of the deal that you –"

"I am stronger than you'll ever be, fuck whatever you have to say about it! I am in this for one thing, and it is to save my people from Her!" Raven shouted, setting aside the scowls she was getting from everyone and ignoring Elizabeth flinching (presumably against her will) or Tai tightened his arms around his wife. "And speaking of deals, why don't you tell everyone what else you're hiding?" Raven spat. "I took a look through your scroll, I'll have you know, and I'm curious what compelled you to make a deal with Roman Torchwick, Neopolitan, that Marshall, and Gina Adel."

"Raven," Emmeline said warningly, sharing a knowing look with Emmett. "If you think that you're making things better by confessing to criminality, then you're completely delusional."

Raven closed her eyes and forced her maiden powers to deactivate. "I..." She started.

"I guess all we can hope for is that you'll use those powers for good," Elizabeth muttered darkly as she walked out of the room, followed by Tai. "Like Glynda."

A tense moment of overarching silence followed after the clicking of Elizabeth's heels could no longer be heard down the hallway. Raven left soon after, snatching up her keys and storming out to her (stolen) motorcycle to calm her thoughts and shut her powers off. Her absence left Glynda, James, Emmeline, Emmett, and Qrow although Cristal and Ozpin, about ten minutes after Raven's temporary departure, stepped in as well. Cristal flinched upon sensing the tension, causing Ozpin to pull her in close although he knew, with everything that had happened, soothing her could very well be a futile task. In the continued silence, Emmett awkwardly adjusted his glasses, Emmeline fidgeted with her wedding ring and her hair, Qrow started drinking (not to anyone's surprise), Glynda collapsed her crop and reattached it to her boot, and James sat down on the couch beside his wife. Then, after far too long, Cristal broke the hold.

"What happened?" She pressed, pushing up her glasses nervously. "Did –"

"Raven's a bitch, Elizabeth's a bitch, and they were monstrous," Qrow surmised, shrugging off the annoyed looks he was getting from everyone else in the room. "Anything else you need to know?"

Cristal sent him a dark look but then sighed.

"I suppose not," She said, tiredly brushing her dark hair over her shoulder.

Another nervous moment passed in silence.

"So," Glynda said. "What are we going to do about Leo?"

"Nothing," Qrow firmly replied, glancing to Ozpin. "If Oz trusts him, then we all should."

"Oz has been wrong about things before," Emmett said with slight bitterness, recalling how he had ignored his visions before the Fall of Beacon. Then, suddenly, he recalled how Oz had never told anyone but Cristal about his sorcery being passed on to their children until he hadn't a choice. "And he's kept more than a few secrets from all of us, not to mention that –"

"Emmett –" Cristal started irritably.

"Shut up," Qrow told her, ignoring the angered look Ozpin gave him and turning on Emmett. "Schnee, are you really still going on about that? The whole damn –"

"I was right about the Fall," Emmett snapped, stepping towards him while Emmeline sighed in slight exasperation, knowing things would (if her husband and Qrow started fighting) become downright nasty. "I was right about my sister, too," Emmett went on. "But did anyone except my wife and teammates listen to me? No! Instead, Oz brushed it off as being a quick route to revenge, or –"

"Well, it very well could have been," Qrow argued, if doubtful of Emmett's capacity (if it even existed) to hurt another person regardless of whatever they could have done. "And you know it," He put in, taking a swig from his flask. "Because, even as you've said yourself, you're a vicious son of a bitch."

"I can be," Emmett agreed. "I can be vicious and cruel but –"

"See?" Qrow said, observing him critically. "You are vengeful. Kinda makes sense that you and Emily ended up together, all things considered."

Emmeline turned sharply towards him and glowered.

"Why do you get off to being such an asshole?" She snapped. "Well? Say something!"

Qrow shrugged. "How am I an asshole?"

None of them responded to his retort. Cristal, Ozpin, and James seemed rather uncomfortable while Glynda crossed her arms and Emmeline and Emmett both seemed to be more than willing to smack Qrow if it came to a physical confrontation.

"You can't be serious," Glynda said after a moment. "You act as if you don't –"

"I don't care what you're about to say, Glynda," Qrow said, rolling his eyes. "And I'm still not afraid of you, even if you are the Fall Maiden."

"Qrow –" She began dangerously.

"Look," He said, starting to pace. "I know that all of you have…psychic abilities or sorcery and whatever, but that doesn't mean any of you are infallible. I know as well as the rest of you that Leo's a nervous wreak most of the time and that he's spacey but that doesn't make him a bad person. Yeah, he confuses me sometimes but Emily does too and –"

"Qrow," Glynda snapped, glancing worriedly to Emmeline who seemed tenser by the second which had not been unusual since she had left for Atlas with Emmett and Samara and had continued since she had returned. "You don't understand –"

"What don't I understand?" Qrow snapped back, ignoring her anger and James' concern for his wife. "Seriously," He went on, perhaps too nonchalantly. "What is it that I supposedly don't understand?"

"Tell him," Ozpin quietly told his brother in law.

Emmett hesitated but, if slowly, turned to Qrow after he had wrapped an arm comfortingly around Emmeline and murmured gently with her for a moment.

"Emmy isn't confusing," Emmett eventually told the man angrily, gritting his teeth. "You have no idea what you're talking about, and, for what it's worth, we –"

"Your wife," Qrow said, jabbing a finger towards Emmeline who forced herself to coldly meet his gaze. "Has always had extreme mood swings and I've seen her be driven and then a few weeks later she starts tearing herself down for things out of her control. That, mixed with your sour personality, I imagine, makes your marriage difficult at times, doesn't it?"

Emmett was shaking in anger, still holding Emmeline close, and found himself struggling to respond. He didn't want to dignify Qrow with any knowledge but Emmeline, though she had always detested admitting it, did.

"I…have bipolar disorder," Emmeline informed him, her voice low and far less imperious than usual. "I was diagnosed when I was twenty, but it got a lot worse in the aftermath of my father's murder. You have no idea how it feels to be perfectly fine for months and then to have, in an instant, all motivation swept away. You have no idea about the meetings I've cancelled or bailed out of, or the times I felt so damn terrible that I avoided even my husband and kids."

Qrow stared at her, stunned.

"I'm…I'm sorry," He said, rubbing his neck guiltily. "I had no idea –"

"That's apparent," Emmett remarked dryly. "And, for the record, for however stressful things may be, it doesn't mean I don't love Emmy and don't do everything I can to help her whether she's depressive or manic. So don't you even dare –"

"I didn't know, I'm sorry," Qrow repeated, putting up his hands. "Okay? I'm sorry."

Emmeline shook her head and she and Emmett quickly stepped out of the room without another word. Qrow knew he had crossed a line (or several, it seemed) but he had never meant to hurt any of them. He supposed it was his own lingering anger but, at the end of the day, he thought it was justified. Cristal and Ozpin were still incredulous at his nerve – that was more than clear – and, just as obvious, Glynda and James were pissed at him for it. He had no words, no idea what to do, but decided what was done was done and he, too, left. Cristal scowled at him as he did, but he paid her no mind. After all, he knew how much hatred she held for him.

Little did he know, though, how deeply things ran for all of them, let alone just how horrible the things that were to be unleashed would be for everyone.

* * *

**_June 24th_**

**_Haven Academy_**

**_Headmaster's Office_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:38 PM_**

Rosella Katt knew she wasn't supposed to be where she was. With every step she took, she felt more and more uncomfortable and she was worried about what she might face once she stepped through the doors before her. She had no trouble walking into the academy, nor was she bothered by anyone around the sleepy campus. It was a warm summer day, and everyone was feeling more than a little lazy. Rosella couldn't blame them. She had arrived on a concealed transport directly from the Atlesian capital, and she knew that Ronnie would be in a frenzy when he read the text message she had sent him as soon as she had landed. He was constantly concerned that she would be in danger and unable to defend herself, and she knew it was twofold. Ever since she had married him, it had been twofold. She was the wife of a prominent figure in Atlesian politics (a figure that happened to get gaunter and paler every day) but she was also a faunus. A beat passed in short silence and then, however hesitantly, Rosella pushed open the doors to the headmaster's office and stepped in – something which startled Leonardo Lionheart even after she quietly closed the door behind her and stepped towards his desk.

"Leo," Rosella Katt said shortly, sitting down in front of the man's desk and eyeing him critically. "I think you and I have a lot to discuss…including –"

"I can't," He choked out, looking worriedly to the currently dead-seeming seer in the shadowed corner of his office. "And you, Rosella, have always played a dangerous game. I commend you for it, I honestly do, but I cannot help you. What I'm doing is keeping me alive."

"Keeping you alive?" She raised an eyebrow. "But for how long, do you think, will that last?"

He swallowed hard. "As long as I need to. And, if I may ask, does your husband know you're here?"

Rosella hesitated. "That's not relevant."

"So, he doesn't," Leo shook his head. "Elena –"

"Don't call me that," She snapped. "You were the one who left and you're the reason mom got all of those ideas in her head about marrying people just to climb the social strata. How long are you going to continue to be terrified every damn thing, dad?"

Leonardo finally stared, for the first time since she had entered his office, into the face of his daughter.

"I was six years old," She reminded him. "I had no idea what happened to you, not until mom tracked you down out of spite after marrying someone she had met after sleeping her way to the top!"

"You were old enough to handle things, by the time your mother remarried," Leonardo said, not meeting her gaze in shame. "You were a teenager –"

"And I look just like her," Rosella sighed heavily and buried her face in her hands for a moment. "Which is a damn miracle, considering that I want no part of you."

He glanced to her out of the corner of his eye when he knew she was still not looking at him.

"If that's how you feel…" He warily began. "Then why did you come here in the first place?"

"Because I don't want you to die over this," Rosella said, also not meeting his gaze. "I know we may not stand a chance, but, regardless –"

"I know," Leo said, knowing that her narrow eyes were following him. "But why are you risking you life –"

"I'm not risking my life by warning you," She said irritably. "I'm giving you a way out because I'm in a position where I can. Ronnie might not be happy about it…but he'll learn to live with it."

"You're more cynical than I initially thought," Leo muttered and she bit her lip. "Not to mention oddly perceptive. I have to say…I'm proud of you, Elena."

"You don't understand, though," She said quietly. "You can't possibly understand what it has taken to keep myself alive, or to protect my family."

He sighed again. "Forgive me for being so blunt with you, Elena, but I can't imagine that's the case."

Rosella scowled, her old anger towards her father returning.

"Really?" She said, crossing her arms. "You can't imagine that's the case?"

"Your position makes you a target just as much as myself," He told her. "She must be going after you and the fact that you're still alive suggests that you must have something that she wants."

Rosella flinched. "That's insane," She said, her voice weaker than she would have liked. "I'm no more a target than anybody else."

"There's no need to be like this," He said passively. "I'm just giving you a warning."

She shook her head. "Why can't you stand for yourself?"

"Because some of us aren't meant to," He replied, and she raised an eyebrow. "Not all of us are meant to be a hero and die a martyr. Dying is easy, Elena, living, however, is much harder."

She stared at him for a moment and then sighed.

"It would do you some good to stand up for yourself," She said, feeling sharper than she had wanted but refusing to back down even when he shrunk back in slight fear. She hesitated, for a moment, and then forced herself to go on. "You are a coward, aren't you?"

"I…" Leonardo spluttered, staring at his daughter in shock. "Elena, listen, I cannot do this. If I fight her…I'll die and I…"

"I'm not saying what you're doing is irrational," She said, leaning towards him slightly to prove, mainly to herself, that she was not afraid. "You got handed a scenario, took in what you knew at the time, and you choose what you thought was best. It's perfectly sane, but you can't even keep your thoughts in order. I'm sorry, dad, but I'm trying to save your skin –"

"Elena, to put things into perspective for you, my life will be in danger if I even set a toe out of line," He said, and she sent him a sympathetic if annoyed look. "I can't risk it. You know I've never been able to risk anything. That's what I've always done."

She bit her lip. "How long have you been roped in on this?"

"Since Ashlynn Schnee was still Ashlynn Schnee," He choked out. "For my own protection. We're all in danger and we always have been…that was why I left you and your mother in the first place. I could not be culpable, not after I became even semi-important."

Rosella felt tears stinging her eyes and she prayed he wouldn't notice.

"I really did fall from the tree, didn't I?" She said, her voice breaking despite herself. "When I married Ronnie, when I had Neon and Devin –"

"You're a huntress and a combat professor, Elena," Leonardo reminded her, remorse creeping up on him after all the years that had gone by. "You have to understand."

"I understand that you're a coward and you didn't want me," She replied weakly. "Mom either."

"What has Ronnie Ciel put in your head after all these years?" Leonardo muttered.

Rosella stared at him for a moment and then brushed tears away from her eyes, finally giving into her overwhelming anger.

"Don't talk about Ronnie like that," She snapped. "He never walks away, he loves me, and he's done everything in his power to protect me and our children even when I've disagreed with the means. After everything I saw from both you and mom, he was the one who restored my faith that a father could stay and a child wouldn't have to wonder their worth."

Leonardo was silenced and she took his lack of words as a reason to keep going.

"And, by the sound of it, you don't even know the first thing about hard work," She said, seething. "You're sitting here, bending to the will of someone who will kill you even when someone is offering to give you a way out despite hating you to their core!"

"Please..." Leo protested passively, knowing that his weariness would not fade. "Please just go..."

Sensing it was no use, Rosella started towards the door but then paused and turned towards him for just a moment.

"I have to ask, honestly," She said, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "What are you really gaining from all of this?"

She had thought she'd get no response.

"Wait," Leo said, standing up suddenly. "Will Atlas protect me?"

Rosella motioned for him to follow her. "We'll see," She replied.

He ran with her to the airship without taking anything and, as he would later be relieved for, Salem knew not a word of what had been spoken between him and his daughter until she could do little about it.


	70. Until I Crash

**_July 5th_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:29 PM_**

"All I'm going to say is that I'm just glad she's no longer living with us," Emmett said darkly, taking back half a flute of champagne. "She almost drove us crazy."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "Are you sure you aren't understating?"

Emmett shrugged. "I was just getting worried she'd never leave."

"Really?" Glynda said with a smirk. "Did she steal your shoes?"

"She used our steam shower," Emmett lamented, pathetically laying his head down on the table and groaning. "And Emmy and I have done things in there –"

"No," James said, sending him a dark look. "No, none of us want to think about that."

Emmett glanced up, scowling at his teammates, sister, and brother-in-law.

"Defend me, Glynda," Emmett groaned. "After what you two did in the elevator –"

"Are you kidding me?" Emmeline started laughing, ruffling his hair affectionately. "Emmett, honey, you're making things worse."

"And I had to grow up with him," Cristal remarked, smirking at her brother. "Which, at times, was a test of my will not to rip his hair out."

"I think you tried," Emmett put in, matching her teasing smirk. "Then again, I did, at one point, whittle half my hair off with my sword."

"I believe that," Ozpin said, sipping his coffee. "You've been known to do any number of things. Didn't you scare your wife a few years ago when you bought her a new car for your fifteenth wedding anniversary?"

Emmett turned almost scarlet. "That's irrelevant," He said awkwardly.

"It was sweet," Emmeline said, taking his hand. "Although I will say it freaked me out at the time."

"Our then four-year-old son thought it was great," Emmett reminded her. "And –"

He paused upon Raven stepping into the room. She looked disdainfully at the champagne on the table and sent Emmett a look that suggested he was, as Ronnie so eloquently phrased it, a flamboyant little bitch. The irony, in the moment, was that she was wearing pearls and a long, form-fitting wine-red dress that hinted at designer origins. Even her feathery hair was held up by a diamond encrusted comb. When she entered the room, Cristal tensed and immediately reached up to fidget with her glasses. There was something about Raven's aura that deeply affected her. Whenever she was around, the energy would become off-kilter and it threatened to make her sick. Ozpin felt it, too, but his attention was more to his wife's anxiety than to the questionable corvid-woman. Glynda and James shared a knowing look, one that, notably, was somewhat exasperated after all of the arguments because of/started by her conflicted loyalties. Emmeline and Raven stared each other down rather angrily, almost as if they were ready to fight, and Emmett, in an air of judgement, took back the other half of his champagne.

"Even within your little group, I see, there's an 'inner circle,' isn't there?" Raven crossed her arms and glared at Ozpin who evenly matched her stare. "Well, if that isn't fitting."

"Heaven almighty…" Glynda muttered.

"I'm tempted to offer you a drink if it will get you to shut up and be grateful you aren't behind bars for what you've done over the years," Emmeline said darkly, standing up to her full height, however unimpressively. "Or have you not –"

"I wouldn't go there, if I were you," Raven replied, stepping towards her. "Emmeline."

She bristled. "General Ciel," She corrected.

"Oh, yes, how could I forget?" Raven glared at her. "You're treading a dangerous line with me. I mean, you couldn't even beat Cinder Fall and -"

"And you're asking for a fight," Emmeline said, matching her tone perfectly. "A fight against me, someone who has won against Cinder Fall before, or did you forget what happened back in 2005? If I can live when someone like that is after me then I think I can take down the Spring Maiden too."

Raven scoffed. "That was almost twenty years ago and well before she became the Fall Maiden. I'd say you're…out of practice."

"Emmy –" Emmett started nervously.

"I'm fine, Emmett," She said, glancing to him for a moment and then turning back to the red-eyed woman. "But she may not be."

Raven moved to slap her but Emmeline caught her wrist, if only by a stroke of sheer luck. Ozpin sighed, probing his forehead for a moment in exasperation while Cristal tiredly curled into him in resignation. Emmett moved to help his wife and then thought better of it when she gently pushed him back with her free hand. Glynda muttered something to James about buying Emmeline an expensive bottle of wine if she gave Raven what she had long since coming for her and he laughed softly in response. Then, within a few seconds of the brief pause, Raven snatched her wrist out of Emmeline's grasp and kicked her. Emmeline let out a brief cry of pain and her aura rippled over her. Regaining her footing, she punched Raven in the face but was quickly knocked to the ground by the Spring Maiden's heels for it.

"You really think this is doing you any favors?" Emmeline snapped at her, pushing herself up. "Well, do you?"

"Emmeline, really –" James put in.

"I can and will handle her myself!" She scowled at all of them including Emmett, who, deciding he was defeated, reached for the champagne bottle. "Don't you dare intervene, James!"

It was then Raven kicked her down again.

"You've gotten used to your cozy existence in Atlas, haven't you?" Raven shook her head disdainfully. "It seems you've forgotten how –"

Emmeline kicked her in the knees and Raven lost her footing long enough for the general to get back on her feet and tackle the Spring Maiden. Raven shrieked in anger and, for a few seconds, James, Glynda, and Emmett considered stepping in despite Emmeline's insistence. Then, Emmeline punched Raven harshly in the face, enough to give her a black eye even with her aura. The Spring Maiden did not take kindly to the attack and activated her powers in a matter of seconds to retaliate. She had been intending smack Emmeline with an icy blast across her cheek but she missed upon Emmeline, in a split second realizing what was about to happen, shifting ever so slightly to try and shield herself with her arms. She was still too slow to deflect the blast with her aura, however, and the magic made contact with the right half of her inky hair and, instead of freezing it, encapsulated it for a moment before turning it white.

Silence shortly followed. Raven stared in shock, Glynda and James glanced to Cristal and Ozpin, who seemed to have realized, as they had, that things were about to get even worse. Emmett immediately dropped his drink and ran over to his wife, whom Raven had pushed off of her before quickly transforming into her corvid form and flying out of the room to avoid the hell she imagined she'd face later for it. She already knew that Emmett was going to be pissed when she returned and she figured it would be best (for her sake, at any rate) to delay a shouting match for as long as possible. There was a moment of shock the followed her departure. Emmeline shakily reached up to touch her hair, feeling it was colder than everything else around her and paused in horror when she realized half of it had gone white. Emmett kneeled down onto the floor and pulled her tightly into him and Glynda, James, Cristal, and Ozpin hesitantly moved towards them.

"Emily," Cristal started hesitantly. "You know that…"

Emmeline said nothing but nodded weakly when she gestured towards her hair.

"She could have killed you," Emmett whispered, shaking and holding Emmeline tighter. "If that had gone the wrong way, I would have lost you…"

"I'm going to kill her," Emmeline muttered.

"Give me a second," Cristal said.

She hesitated but she lightly took a lock of her sister-in-law's damaged hair and probing it with her own magic, attempting to reverse the Spring Maiden's curse.

"Well, it's not a curse in the conventional sense, as in, it won't do any lasting damage," She sighed, closing her eyes and deactivating her powers as the Winter Maiden. "But I can't fix it. Whatever she did, she knew what she was doing and she was trying to kill you or, at the very least, make you comatose."

Ozpin looked sickened at the thought.

"No," He said. "She wouldn't have."

"Now I am going to kill her," Emmeline said darkly. "If she thought it was on –"

"Emily, please don't," Glynda said gently. "As much as I'm sure all of us would get a kick out of putting her in her place, I really don't think now is the time to do it."

"Also," James added, causing Emmeline to sigh irritably. "There are better ways to get back at people than killing them."

Emmeline raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting I –"

"Don't finish that sentence," He said, sharing a worried look with Glynda. "Half the things you've said in anger have been –"

"Disturbing," Cristal finished. "I know Emmett thinks he can be vicious, but sometimes you both take things to levels I didn't think existed."

Emmett scowled. "That's not fair."

"It is," Cristal replied. "You're a dumbass sometimes, you really are."

"I'm also your baby brother," Emmett retorted. "Cut me some slack."

"Let's just be glad no one got hurt," Ozpin said calmly, choosing not to dwell on the irritated look Emmeline sent him. "And let's hope Elizabeth doesn't find out about this."

The six of them laughed for a moment but that quickly abated upon the tell-tale, imperious heels clicking into the room.

"Interesting, Oz," Elizabeth Morell said dryly, her arms crossed. "What else is there you don't want me to know about?"

* * *

**_July 13th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:33 PM_**

"Sit down," Karissa said, sending her eldest daughter a sharp look and motioning her towards the couch while she and Spencer stepped back into their rowhouse and their other kids immediately ran into the room, anticipating a fight. "I'm not going to ask you what you were thinking because it's clear you weren't. Rather, I'm going to ask what compelled you sneak out with your friends and tag highway dividers."

Percival smirked at his twin brother, who was nonchalantly leaning against the wall.

"Break out the sage and holy water," Percy said, laughing a little. "Natalie might be possessed."

Natalie turned towards him from where she was on the couch and stuck her tongue out at him rather childishly.

"I am not possessed," She said, crossing her arms defiantly. "I just wanted to have a little bit of fun."

Karissa raised an eyebrow and menacingly adjusted her glasses.

"Alright," She said, struggling to stay calm. "So: how does having fun involve getting arrested?"

Natalie began to awkwardly fidget with her hands, suddenly uncomfortable.

"We hadn't meant to get arrested, you know," She said, rubbing at her already smeared eyeliner. "Like I said, we were just trying to have a bit of fun."

Spencer sighed. "By doing something illegal?"

"It's only illegal if you get caught," Natalie replied sassily. "All things considered –"

"Natalie, listen to me," Karissa said, thoroughly exasperated. "You are an adult but you're still living at home and attending college, not to mention you're supported by your parents. Do you really think that, with your mother being the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action, doing shit like this is a good idea?"

Natalie shrugged. "It was fun, if that's what you mean. Besides, classes don't start again until September. I think I'm okay."

"You still committed a crime," Karissa countered. "A serious one, too. Honestly –"

"We did a dumb thing," Natalie said, putting her hands up in surrender. "Come on, mom. It's not like you didn't do dumb things when you were younger."

"I never broke the law, though," Karissa said, sending her a sharp look. "I'm sorry, Natalie, but –"

"And we'd had a few drinks," Natalie protested. "How can you judge us for something we did when we weren't completely sober?"

Luna burst out into laughter and so did Percy and Matt, while Jasper smirked and hid behind his older siblings. Both Spencer and Karissa turned to their other children and motioned for the four of them to let them speak to Natalie alone. After a moment of more giggling, they relented.

"Nattie, honestly," Spencer said, waiting long enough to be sure they weren't eavesdropping. "Things are bad enough and –"

"Dad, I just want to enjoy my life," Natalie groaned and fell backwards against the couch. "Why can't you and mom just let me run wild?"

"Because letting you run wild apparently ends in you getting arrested," Karissa remarked and Natalie pouted. "If this is any indicator, anyways."

Natalie considered that. "Eh," She said. "If we'd been a little faster, we would have gotten away with it."

Spencer held his head in exasperation and glanced to his wife, who seemed unsure of how to respond.

"Would have gotten away with it?" He repeated. "You're kidding, aren't you?"

Natalie shook her head. "Well, like I said, crimes aren't crimes if you don't caught doing them."

"That isn't how it works," Spencer tiredly told her. "It's wrong, it's –"

"Ugh, fine," She scowled at the ceiling. "Gina was right. You guys are no fun."

Karissa flinched for a moment. "We'll discuss this more in the morning," She said, struggling to hide her hurt and concern for her eldest.

"'Rissa?" Spencer said, gently setting a hand to her shoulder. "Are you –"

"I'm fine," She said shortly, then turning back to Natalie. "Again, we'll discuss this more in the morning."

"Probably best," Natalie agreed, sounding dejected. "I can barely focus on anything right now."

Karissa stared at her for a few seconds and then quickly started up the stairs with Spencer quickly following her, more than a little concerned for her and not only because of the Council or the strain caused by their eldest child.

* * *

**_July 17th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:38 PM_**

Ronnie Ciel scowled at the man sitting across from him and his wife. Rosella had been nervous since she had returned back to Atlas, but tonight seemed worse than before. He supposed that had something to do with the kids being in the room as well. Devin had spent the whole time awkwardly eyeing the headmaster of Haven Academy, and he seemed particularly confused by the notion that this man was his grandfather. He had never met his mother's parents – her stepfather had died before he had been born and Rosella and her mother had a contentious relationship at best – and, because of that, he was very much interested by Leonardo. Neon, if more aware of her mother's feelings on the matter, had said nothing the entire time and let her brother chatter on and on.

"So," Ronnie finally said, setting his whiskey aside. "You're the man that abandoned my wife as a child and have now gone on to support someone who wants to damn the entire world. I have to say, that's quite a lot you have going for you."

Leonardo quavered and stared at his hands.

"I've…are you going to be able to protect me?" He forced out. "I –"

"I cannot protect you personally, that would be an overreach of my position as the Atlesian president," Ronnie shortly replied. "You will have to address that matter with Elizabeth Morell and Karissa Mar of the Atlesian National Security Council and the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action respectively."

Leo looked up to him in shock, a slight bit of fear hidden behind his eyes.

"And, I'm afraid, Madame Morell is in Mistral at the moment," Ronnie went on, sounding almost bored. "With that in mind, I would recommend you arrange to meet with Madame Mar by the end of the week. Luckily for you, she's more likely to hear people out."

"Ronnie," Rosella started warningly, resting a hand over his knee.

"Ella, this man doesn't deserve sympathy," Ronnie murmured, reaching over and pressing a chaste kiss to her forehead. "Not after the hell he put you through."

"No one deserves to be murdered either," Rosella softly replied. "This is a question of morality, Ronnie, it's not as –"

"Okay!" Devin exclaimed suddenly, trying diffuse the tension. "Um…I'm Devin…your grandson!"

Ronnie scowled at his son, who hesitantly shrunk back.

"I figured that out," Leonard said awkwardly. "All things considered, of course."

Neon glared at him for a moment and then skated out of the room. Rosella watched her leave and then, a bit shakily, left as well. Ronnie let out a short sigh of annoyance and then gestured for his son to leave as well, something that Devin, after a moment, grudgingly did. Once the door slammed shut behind him, only the two men remained. Leonardo said nothing and decided to instead eye his son in law in an attempt to judge the situation. In the slightly dark room, primarily lit by the fire, Ronnie Ciel looked almost sickly pale and thin, with his hair looking, if it were possible, greyer than it ever had. It was odd to Leo, if only because he had only seen photographs of him in news articles and had only been tangentially aware that this man had married his daughter years before. He had always been disassociated from him and from Atlas, which was why seeing him the way he was now seemed to be so jarring.

"I'm not going to lie and say I don't hold you responsible for a good chunk of the misery my wife has been through," Ronnie eventually said, sipping on his whiskey again. "Nor am I going to lie and say that I think you deserve clemency because, by God, you don't. Ella does have a point, however, in saying that you don't deserve to left out to die."

"I've…done some things I'm not proud of," Leo choked out. "But leaving Elena was for her own good."

Ronnie narrowed his eyes and methodically adjusted his glasses.

"No," He said sharply. "You can't justify that."

"She would have been in danger –" Leo protested.

"She was always going to be in danger," Ronnie snapped. "But even more so because you left her and her mother dirt poor in Mantle! You do understand that, by the time her mother remarried, she was a teenager and already been through some of the worst as a kid? Do you have any idea –"

"I had never meant to –" He started.

"What you meant to isn't relevant anymore," Ronnie replied irritably, struggling to remain disengaged from his emotions. "It's the effect you've had on her. You know, even now, she struggles to believe that not everyone is out to get her and the kids? That's the price you pay growing up in the eighties and nineties in Mantle. You wouldn't believe how bad things were there…or the racism that dominated almost all business down there. Even business that was meant to help them."

Leo bit his lip when Ronnie gestured to the tell-tale snowflake on the SDC world headquarters, which could be seen from the window that looked onto downtown.

"People say Jacques is bad, and they aren't wrong to," Ronnie said, standing up and beginning to pace. "But Nicholas was just as bad and, at the end of the day, he did serious damage that Jacques has only worsened."

Leo looked down at his hands and did not respond, which Ronnie took to keep going.

"You never saw any of that," He continued, looking out on to the city with his back turned towards his father-in-law. "Of course, based on the position you're in now, I'm not surprised that you value your own survival more than anyone else's."

Leonardo swallowed hard. "That's not entirely true. I –"

"I don't want to hear your excuses," Ronnie said sharply. "Rosella is right. You don't deserve to die but, in my view, you don't deserve forgiveness either."

"I know I made mistakes," He said weakly. "But we all do –"

"Don't you understand the upset that's caused her?" Ronnie paused for a moment, anger rising in him that he quickly suppressed. "After all this time, Ella –"

"I don't want to hear how you think I've hurt Elena," Leonard bit off, then thinking better of it when Ronnie turned around suddenly and sent him a harsh glare. "She can tell me that for herself, if that is very much how she feels."

A deadly silence held over them and then Ronnie shook his head and left the room, doing everything he could to prevent his emotions from being noticeable. After all, he had spent his entire career denying them and hiding them from everyone except his family – and the man he had been talking to, in his mind, was not a member of his family.


	71. Calling the Shots

**_July 27th_**

**_Mistral_**

**_9:28 PM_**

"You look cold."

Emmett Schnee stepped out onto the balcony where Emmeline was. She turned around, startled for a moment, and then smiled softly. Her hair was down and the wispy monochrome locks were floating in the wind and she was only in her pyjamas. Her feet were bare and lightly dusted in snow, which was unsurprising. The Mistrali capital was closer to the south Menagerie sea than it was to the equator, which meant, though Atlas was well into its tolerable (for the Midwest and upper coasts) to unbearable (for the south and eastern and western seaboards) summer, it was halfway into Mistrali winter. Still, it was warmer than it often was in northern Atlas and Emmeline, after years of living in the Atlesian capital, was used to the chill. Emmett lingered in the doorway for a brief moment and then came over to her, shrugging off his mink coat and wrapping it around her. She sighed but didn't protest and let him pull her into him, gently treading his fingers through her hair and trying to keep his glasses from attracting too many snowflakes. After all, they both knew just how bad his vision had become.

"Glynda thinks I've gotten a little too into finding creative ways of telling Raven off," He murmured, eliciting a small laugh from Emmeline. "Supposedly calling her a warmongering zealot to a dated set of morally ambiguous ideals was both over the top and ridiculous."

Emmeline smiled. "It doesn't help if you're proving her point about Atlesians being obnoxious know it alls."

Emmett shrugged and pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead.

"I'm a professor, what can you do?" He replied teasingly. "I get paid to correct people when I'm not on missions as a huntsman."

"That's fair," She replied. "And, as our daughter constantly reminds us, you no longer scream when you see grimm."

Emmett groaned. "Oh, come on! It was a reflex reaction!"

Emmeline laughed and nuzzled his neck. He affectionately ruffled her hair in response.

"If you two are done…" Elizabeth Morell began dangerously, her heels imperiously clicking out onto the balcony. "We need to talk, and everyone has done a damn good job avoiding me for too long."

Emmeline sent her a dark look. "You aren't helping your case, Eliza."

"No, I'm not," She agreed. "But I deserve answers and none of you have been willing to give them to me. Ozpin can't just keep secrets forever. James has been honest with us…once he realized we knew and that's fair. But Oz? No. The only person he's ever been honest with is Cristal."

Emmett raised an eyebrow. "Are you waiting for us to disagree with you? Because, believe me, everyone knows that. He trusts his wife before anyone else and –"

"Yeah, yeah," Elizabeth muttered, slight bitterness rising in her voice. "Ozpin's a hero…a saint…and he's a freaking –"

"Human," Emmett finished.

Elizabeth stared at them for a moment and pulled her blazer a little tighter around herself. The chill of the winter air was finally getting to her and she worried, in that moment, she had overstepped or, at the very least, misinterpreted something. She had spent years defining people specifically because it made things easier and she was, for the first time, startled enough to even briefly question it. She had always clung to six major groups: people like her, who were tormented but in high class; people in high class; the poor people she knew hated her and many of the executive officials in the Atlesian capital; the poor faunus; the wealthy faunus; and people like Ozpin, which, as it happened, were almost exclusively him, his wife, and children. She had never thought of Oz as human and now, she realized, that had been a mistake.

"Well, that's…" Elizabeth shivered despite herself. "Fair," She concluded. "That's fair…but it doesn't mean he has the right to keep so much from us when he needs us to –"

"Eliza," Emmeline said tiredly. "Are you sure you even want to know everything?"

She glowered. "That shouldn't even be a question."

"It's worth asking," Emmeline countered. "After all, none of us really had a choice and you do."

"And I have to act in the best interests of the people – whom are all going to know about this…this soon enough!" Elizabeth exclaimed in exasperation. "It isn't about what I want, it's about doing what's right and atoning for –"

"You have nothing to atone for," Emmeline cut across her, far more harshly than she had meant to. "You have done more than enough and saved more than enough lives. Hell, by telling the truth when you realized how, you never had to do more than bring to light –"

"You can never understand what I mean, Emmeline," Elizabeth snapped. "And, furthermore, if I don't do what's right now, then how many more people are going to die for this? Your father was one of them, wasn't he?"

An awful silence befell them and Emmett almost wanted to object but knew he couldn't.

"You're right," He finally said, giving Emmeline a reassuring squeeze. "But we have to proceed carefully and, honestly, you really ought to hear it from Oz."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "You really think he's above lying?"

"Oz has kept plenty of secrets from all of us, but he hasn't lied," Emmett reminded her. "Not so far as any of us are aware, anyways."

Elizabeth sighed heavily. "What about his plans for my stepdaughter? Or what happened when Beacon fell?"

"That was ignorance, not lying," Emmett replied. "If Oz had listened to me and James from the start, then maybe what happened to Beacon could have been prevented. Either way…be careful, Eliza. Things are bad enough and we really can't afford for them to get any worse."

* * *

**_July 29th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:25 PM_**

Gina Adel deftly plucked an emerald encrusted broach off of a temporarily abandoned market stand and slipped it into her pocket easily. They had been scouting the area all morning (and, per orders by the Atlesian DFAMA, beginning to keep tabs on Varna) and all four of them were done with the heat and the constant chattering. This, while technically downtown, was the cusp of the poorer stretches of the city of Vacuo and all of them wanted to snag what they could before returning to their hotel. It was clear they were tapped in the building and spa but, so long as they were out in town, it had little impact on them. Roman was free to relax and have a cigar or two while his wife read a book or stabbed birds out of trees (much to Marshall-Monster's amusement) and Gina could envelop herself in the finest things in life from silk to massages. For the time being, they were content to scrape up information and mess with people but none of them could deny that they were looking forward to fucking around with Varna's mind and her deadly games.

"We should play knife monopoly later," Marshall grumbled, lowering his head from the heat. "Take our minds off the bullshit and work on our reflexes."

Neo, deciding that was stupid, smacked him upside the head with her umbrella.

"You're a bitch…" Marshall hissed.

Gina laughed. "Oh, honey," She purred. "You haven't seen a real bitch yet."

"And you better watch the way you talk about my wife," Roman added with a killer smirk, flicking some cigar ash aside. "Unless you wanna end up six feet under tonight, that is."

Marshall activated his semblance and brushed a finger against Roman's cane, causing it to electrify and shock him, much to the tattooed mercenary's amusement.

"Grow a pair, Roman," Gina said, rolling her eyes. "You're like a little girl. Should I get you a fluffy dress and a floppy hat?"

Roman resisted the urge to smack her with his cane but Neo, lacking all impulse, decided to smack Gina with her umbrella with even more force than she had smacked Marshall with.

"I'm your leader!" Gina shrieked when she fell to the dusty ground, much to her chagrin. "Don't you understand how important that is! You will –"

"Pretty sure Karissa Mar said I'm running this shit," Roman silkily put in while Gina stood up and brushed the sand dust off of her clothes. "She seems to think I'm the most trustworthy."

Gina rolled her eyes. "She just didn't want to risk making my dad mad."

Marshall socked her in the arm. "Yeah," He said dryly. "Because that makes perfect sense."

Gina turned towards him suddenly, snatched his arm, and, before he could stop her, flipped him over and onto the ground with a sharp snap.

"We playin' street rules, Bozo?" She laughed, tossing her hair over her shoulder. "I'm Gina Adel! You really think you'll ever beat me in –"

"I sure can try," Marshall growled. "And we can settle this with just a simple round of knife monopoly –"

"Oh, really?" Gina smirked, activating her semblance – pyrokinesis – and causing her aura to ripple over her body, something which served only to highlight how pale she was in the harsh Vacuo sun. "You do know that I'll win either way. I can do whatever I want because you, Monster, are replaceable."

"Everyone is," He replied, standing up with a dangerous smile. "Including you. You're not protected by Blake and Allison Adel anymore, you know."

Gina sent him a dark look. "You're going to regret that when I show you how we end fights in Atlas."

Marshall snickered. "By suing the pants off people?"

"That's how rich people handle fights in Atlas," Gina informed him. "But for those who can't afford to…"

She trailed off menacingly, which she undermined by winking flirtatiously at a muscular, shaggy-haired dust miner who walked by with his pickaxe slung over his shoulder.

"Call me…" She purred, slipping a business card into his back pocket and cupping his backside for a few seconds. "Shake that thing, too, honey."

Marshall rolled his eyes and shared a look with Roman and Neo that suggested Gina had both lost her mind and was disgusting all of them.

"Now I really do wanna play knife monopoly," Roman remarked dryly. "If only so I can stab her."

Marshall snorted. "I'd only stab someone in retaliation."

Neo hesitated but then quickly whispered something to Roman, who grinned.

"Really?" Roman said, smirking and leaning on his cane. "Because Neo would stab someone as a warning."

"That I believe," Marshall swore under his breath when Gina returned to their little group. "Pick up anyone worthwhile, Adel?"

Gina grinned. "Hell yeah. It's gonna be a fun night for me, Monster."

Marshall glowered. "If you're gonna call me by somethin' other than my real name, call me Mister DJ."

"I can get behind that," Roman chortled. "You know anything about clubbing?"

"That was my career before this," He shot back, running a hand through his slick hair. "Believe me, I'm the master when it comes to deejaying."

Neo giggled at the thought.

"Well, let's get this party started," Gina said, sauntering forward and motioning for the others to follow her. "We're going to show this town what we're made of and just how weak they all are."

* * *

**_August 1st_**

**_City Of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:34 PM_**

Raven Branwen stared out at the city before her from where she sat on the rooftop of the decidedly small townhouse the group (of whom was there, at any rate) was staying in until they better understood the Haven-Lionheart situation. Based on word from Atlas and delivered so haughtily by Elizabeth Morell, it seemed Leonardo had flipped without, as Raven put it, the snare's knowledge and he would return soon to help organize a trap for the snare's underlings. To Raven, this was a dangerous game. Yes, she was relieved that she would reunite with her tribe and the letter she had sent to Vernal (whom she knew, provided her vassal had listened, was in the white forest about a hundred miles north of the Mistrali capital) was a testament to that. Yet she was unnerved nonetheless. She hoped — for everyone's sake — that Rosalinde Varna wouldn't show her face but, considering that Raven was convinced Varna had been leaking information to the snare for decades, it seemed unlikely at best. With Ashlynn Schnee six feet under, too, it seemed there could be a smooth reunion with minimal fighting.

At least, to an idiot as Raven believed.

Elizabeth Morell seemed so damn convinced the situation had turned in their favor and it drove the Spring Maiden insane. Even Ozpin and his little inner circle had reservations — to say otherwise would be a lie on so many levels — but Qrow had taken Elizabeth's side, as had most of the kids, and Raven was almost certain he had done so out of spite. It was either spite or, just as likely, he actually held faith in Lionheart's supposed flip. Raven knew she never would, even if things went their way in the coming weeks. He was a man dominated by fear and nothing more. If the snare threatened him with a fate worse than death when she discovered his so-called treachery, then Raven was certain he would flip back to her side out of sheer cowardice. The Atlesians, likely because they had always lived in the freest kingdom (and the safest one), were arrogant at best and Raven hated it.

"Mom."

Raven barely moved from where she was sitting on the ledge and observing the city. She merely lowered her head slightly and let Yang speak for herself. She knew her daughter was still angry with her (as everyone else seemed to be) for what she had done to Emmeline but Raven believed they should all be grateful the woman had survived because, if it had gone any worse, she wouldn't have. There was silence for a few seconds in which the only sounds were the whistling wind and the light snow that had been continuously dusting the area for the last week. It was the only comfort Raven had, but, she imagined, comfort was unlikely to be what her daughter had come seeking. Far more likely, Yang was about to lash out – something Raven believed her daughter excelled at and something, as it happened, she blamed Qrow for.

"I know you haven't spoken to anyone about it, other than insinuating to Emmett that he should be glad General Ciel's alive, but I want you to talk to me," Yang said, slowly stepping towards her with heavy footsteps that resonated over the rooftop. "So: what did you do when you turned General Ciel's hair half white?"

Raven scoffed. "And why should I tell you anything when you're going to tell Elizabeth and daddy everything anyways?"

"What did you do?" Yang tersely repeated, her eyes flashing red. "If you —"

"I lost control, if you must know," Raven irritably replied, standing up from the ledge and starting towards her daughter. "I never meant to cause permanent damage. I just wanted to cause her enough pain to respect me and stop hiding behind wealth."

Yang took a small step back. "I don't believe you," She said darkly.

"I don't expect you to," Raven said, crossing her arms. "In fact, I don't expect any of you to."

Yang eyed her for a moment. "You know you could have killed her."

It was a statement of fact rather than a question and both mother and daughter knew it.

"That hadn't been my intention," Raven said evenly. "It would have defied purpose of everything I've wasted the last few months getting myself entangled in."

Yang snorted. "Aren't you just in this for yourself?"

"You would think that, wouldn't you?" Raven shook her head. "And, once again, you're wrong."

"That's what you say," Yang retorted. "Except you never prove me wrong, which, honestly, is the bigger problem. You're always trying to –"

"Do what's right –" Raven protested.

"Rationalize," Yang snapped, her eyes flashing red again. "Have you ever done one thing in your life that wasn't selfish?"

Raven was silent and her eyes, despite every instinct, started to tear.

"Yes," She said, her voice far weaker than she would have liked. "I had you and have spent all of this time trying to keep you alive…even if I wasn't there."

Yang said nothing but her eyes betrayed her when they flashed back to her natural lilac. She and her mother then simply stared at each other in disbelief for a minute. Suddenly, impulse and childhood emotion threatening to subsume her, Yang tightly embraced her mother and, for the first time, Raven did not push her away.


	72. These Illusions

**_August 9th_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:28 PM_**

Night had fallen hours before and the City of Mistral was sparkling from the lights. Downtown was filled with people in their best winter fashion, the clubs were loud enough to be heard all over and the sound from them seemed to blur together. All around, there were people drinking, dancing, and, in some of the more luxurious clubs, making shady deals and getting sleazy. Haven Academy was almost empty on the grounds, with students out and socializing on the slightly chill Saturday night. Mistrali winter did, after all, tend to arouse a yearning in people to give up and do whatever the hell they wanted. Yet, below the beautiful surface, things were far less glamorous. Huntsmen and huntresses were dealing with grimm on the outskirts. The police were handling a dust explosion that could have been a sign of attempted arson downtown.

And General Ironwood had spent the last few hours coordinating with those under his command and working, alongside General Ciel, with the hunters in the city. For her part, Emmeline had returned back about an hour before because of a phone call from Emmett, who had been worried about her despite knowing where she was. James had meant to leave with her but a sudden report from the city police required extra support. White Fang terrorist activity had been reported in the northern sector and the response needed to be imminent. They were dangerously close to the power grid for the entire city and, if they managed to shut off even part of it, there would be danger and no one wanted to risk it.

That was when everything had went dark. Most of downtown had been unaffected, in large part because of backup generators, but the northern and southern sectors of the city were in total blackout. Everything seemed to shut down at the same time, and only faint figures could be seen. There were huntsmen and military officials everywhere and, in the southern sector where James was, they were all prepared in case of attack. People were being evacuated from the most dangerous areas, and downtown was put into high alert. This was, still, not what worried James most. Shadowed figures continued to flicker about, something which troubled the general considerably. It was impossible to tell who was friend and who could potentially be foe. Even more troubling were the occasional screams that seemed to appear and then disappear. Regardless of everything downtown being per usual (if only because of drinks and hearty partying despite the activation of the alert system), it felt that something, especially in the south, was very much wrong.

"Who's -"

James tightened his hand around his gun upon seeing a shadowy figure pause in the alleyway. Slowly, he began to move towards it but got barely a few feet closer to it before he heard gunshot and a few empty boxes burst into flames near him. He took a step back, reminding himself that it could not possibly be Ashlynn Schnee, and steadied himself to counterattack if necessary. Then, another crack burst through the air and, in the darkness, he felt something sharp hit him in his natural side. His aura rippled over him and he let out a short yell before attempting to shoot but missing. The figure got closer and swung what the general was almost certain to be a sword. This time, he managed to dodge the attack and fired another shot that, based on the angered scream and cursing that followed, did not miss.

The figure and the general then ran towards each other and James pulled out his second gun to fire a quicker shot without reloading his primary immediately. The shot missed by barely an inch and the general only just evaded a sharp kick by the figure. In the faint light from the burning boxes, James could tell he was fighting a man but he stopped when he caught a glimpse of the small horns on his head. He watched, for just a moment, as the figure unsheathed its sword and it was then he realized exactly who he was fighting. This was no ordinary faunus who mistook him for police or simply wanted to wreak havoc. This was a man with whom the Atlesian general did not have a kind history with, and, even worse so, he was one that constantly managed to evade any and all authorities.

The figure moved to swing his sword down on the general but was stopped suddenly. He cursed upon the sword being bent and recoiling when it hit James' metal arm. The only damage that seemed to be done was tearing the general's uniform, something that could be easily repaired. Taking advantage of the few seconds he had, James fired a few shots in distraction. The figure had dropped his weapons from the shock of the recoil and, in their moment of weakness, could feel their mask being punched off their face by the general's metal hand. The figure had known all along who he was fighting but, in the brief seconds that followed, he realized that James had figured it out too.

"Hey, dad."

James scowled at the man in disgust and Adam Taurus merely spit into one of the boxes nearby.

"Although…" Adam went on disdainfully and tapping his chin in feigned thought when the general did not reply. "Considering that Ivy chose Atlas over justice…"

"She did what was best for her and her baby girl," James snapped. "A girl you seem to have no care for or —"

"Daughter?" Adam laughed. "I don't have any kids, general, and Ivy was only sleeping with me. I don't know what you're getting at, but —"

Adam cut himself off and moved to attack the general again, this time only fist to fist, but James deftly blocked him and caught his wrist with enough force for Adam to curse from the pain.

"I don't care what happened between you and my daughter," James hissed. "But, if you lay hand to her or anyone else in my family for that matter, you will pay."

Adam laughed. "Do you honestly believe I'm afraid of you?"

James glared. "You should be."

The general began to reach for his gun with his free hand but briefly lost his balance upon Adam wrenching out of his grasp. By the time he managed to steady his weapon to shoot the man enough to force him into Atlesian custody, Adam had blown up part of the alleyway on the other end. Everything billowed with smoke for a moment and, in the frenzy, Adam escaped. When the smoke eventually cleared, James, albeit coughing and dusting off his uniform, began quickly back to downtown. He was angry, he knew that for certain, but the worst part of it all was the fact that the man got away and the trauma of what had occurred almost twenty one years before in the south Menagerie sea as well (as what had happened just weeks before at Beacon) crashed into the general like a tidal wave and there was nothing he could do to stop it.

* * *

**_August 9th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:23 PM_**

"I...I can't do this."

Caitlin Ironwood-Goodwitch felt all of the air leave her lungs when she softly spoke the words she had been unable to bring herself to for the last few months. Her lips were still lingering lightly over Ivan Varley's and he, too, was frozen. The two of them had known each other for five years and grown close in that time - as close as she was with some of her childhood friends, even. He had met her in the deepest depths of her depression and seen her at both her best and worst. He was one of the few people who truly knew what she had been through; it wasn't just the attempt on her life by her ex-boyfriend or the emotional manipulation she had endured by her ex-girlfriend. He knew, like Samara and a few others, that she had helped raise her brother because her father had been traveling most of her life. He knew how close she was Ivy yet how distant they could be at the same time and he knew about her gift and semblance.

For the last three months, though, she had started seeing him in secret. Samara had been gone for so long, it seemed, and, even for the brief time she had been back, they hadn't spent as much time together as they had meant to. Samara had been pulled in every direction by hunting missions, while Caitlin had been subsumed in work for her classes. It had been wonderful when they had been together during those times, especially when Caitlin's emotions were trying on her, but they had been few and far between. She had wanted immediate comfort and support and, when he had kissed her a little while back, she had not fought it. Now, standing in the warm summer air in downtown Atlas, she was being hit with a wave of guilt. She had deep feelings for him, that was undeniable, but she could not go on. It was all too much, and -

"Caity?" Ivan stared at her in confusion. "What is it?"

"I can't do this," She repeated weakly, pulling away and staring at her feet while she pushed up her glasses. "It's...it's too much, it's too fast...and...you know Mara...she and…"

Ivan paused in consideration. "I know," He said, sighing heavily. "But, Caity, don't push me away either. I care about you and -"

"I can't be with you," She said, her voice breaking. "I just can't."

Ivan bit his lip. "I didn't mean like that."

Caitlin swallowed hard. "Stop using your semblance to block out emotions. I'm awful for this and you know it -"

"Sure," He agreed. "But I care more about us being friends than us being friends with benefits."

She fell silent, utterly stunned.

"Why aren't you more upset?" She finally said. "Angry, screaming...I would be."

"Not everyone is out to get you," He said, gently embracing her. "If that's what you're thinking. I thought you knew that -"

"Stop it," She said, tears rising in her eyes. "I know you understand me better than most, but…"

"Caity," Ivan started. "I have questioned this...relationship if that's what you want to call it since you told me at the start you wanted it to be secret. Believe me, I know what I'm saying even if you don't know what you feel."

She tried not to break down in tears and looked down at her feet again.

"I still don't...I…" She trailed off, unsure of how to go on. "I called this...clarity, remedy, or whatever you want to apply and yet it's -"

"I care about you, not romance or making out or holding you or doing God knows what with you," He said, a little harsher than he had meant to. "And I promise I -"

"Ivan, don't," She weakly protested. "I've hurt you enough."

He tightly embraced her for a moment when she started to sob but let her go when she flinched.

"Caity," He said quietly. "If you ever need anything, you can call me. I will be here for you...even though it...it hurts you don't want this but...if that's not what you need then…"

"I know," She said softly, turning the corner. "I'll text you later...I just need some time alone right now."

The two began to part ways but they both glanced back. By the time Caitlin had made it back to her dorm about half an hour later (she had detoured in her distraction), she felt almost better but she still wanted to cry. Oh, she knew he had meant every word and she texted him after texting with Samara, who put her in slightly better spirits, yet she felt horrible. Everything had been hazy and spinning for months it seemed when it came to everything but her classes and her family. Now, she felt everything she had been trying to handle or repress coming to subsume her. The last year had been hard on everyone, she knew, but things seemed to have only gotten a little better. All she wanted was to set everything on fire and watch the flames burn higher and it was then she made a realization that had been a long time coming. Perhaps, even, she had known it from the start. There was irony in that, she was well aware. In some ways, she was almost amused and, at the same time, unsure of how to move forward. Everything in her room had come into sharp focus and the only thing that broke her out of her hazy shock was the indignant meow of her sassy little cat upon being hugged a little too close. Holding her head in her hands as she watched the cat saunter over to her food bowl, Caitlin was suddenly more certain than she had been of anything else before in her life.

What she realized was this: she would never be satisfied because nothing would ever be enough for her.

"Oh, God…" She breathed, setting her glasses beside before she curled into herself and started to cry. "What...what have we done with our lives and what has it ever gotten us…"

* * *

**_August 9th_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:37 PM_**

"Alright, Ozpin, you've had over a month and, frankly, I am tired of your lies," Elizabeth Morell said, her voice haughtily clipped as she sat down on a small sette across from the man. "So, tell me: what is really happening here?"

Ozpin sighed and continued pacing for a moment while his wife nervously glanced up from her scroll. Her glasses were slightly askew and she was laying in bed with her hair down. She was more than a little exhausted and, when she set her scroll aside, she knew it wasn't only because of the stress caused by her job. Elizabeth sent her a pointed look, almost daring Cristal to object, but the prosecutor said nothing. She simply fidgeted with her wedding ring and tried not to meet Elizabeth's gaze. The woman's aura was projecting enough anger, after all. A minute passed in relative silence, and then another, before Ozpin finally stopped pacing and turned to his wife. He came over to her and gently squeezed her hand in reassurance. Then, he met Elizabeth Morell's increasingly narrow gaze.

"You have to understand, Elizabeth, that this is not easy for any of us," Ozpin said, breaking the tension for a moment. "We all have suffered because of this and —"

"And?" Elizabeth glared and then shook her head. "Is Emmeline right? To say we cannot defeat the Queen, that is?"

Ozpin shook his head. "On that particular subject, she's wrong. I trust Emmeline a great deal, but she and Emmett are both...jaded by some of the things that happened."

Elizabeth snorted. "For good reason."

"No one contests that," Cristal snapped. "But all of us have made...shall we say shortsighted mistakes because —"

"I have not," Elizabeth cut across. "I have done everything in my power to protect Atlas, to increase national and global security, and I am repeatedly dragged down by bullshit like this! Not to mention the lies!"

"None of us have lied to you, Eliza," Cristal scowled at her as she went on. "And for you to accuse of us of that is personally and professionally insulting, not to mention —"

"You have lied to me, quite recently, actually!" Elizabeth yelled, her anger threatening to activate her semblance. "Or, to be clear, how long have you known you aren't Nicholas Schnee's daughter?"

Cristal paled and her hands began to shake, causing Ozpin wrap an arm tightly around her in an attempt to steady her

"How do you know about that?" Ozpin eventually said, his voice eerily calm. "We only told —"

"Emmett," Elizabeth snorted. "I overheard him and Emmeline talking about it a few weeks ago. It was only part of what seemed to be a rather long list of grievances Emmett holds against Nicholas but, nevertheless —"

"You've been eavesdropping on all of us?" Cristal said, her voice weak. "Is that how little you trust us these days?"

Elizabeth sighed. "I'm not the only one whose taken on a new approach. In case you've forgotten, James —"

"And I support his plan," Cristal softly replied. "I know Oz and I were...in the dark for awhile but, after Beacon —"

"After Beacon, Ozpin proved he isn't in a position to guide us," Elizabeth snapped, then ruefully shaking her head. "It pains me to say it, but circumstances have changed and I, for one, am in a much better position to guide all of us —"

"You?" Cristal stared at her in shock. "Of all people, you honestly believe that you are in a better position to —"

"I have years invested in all of this — during many of which I had no idea what I was truly fighting!" Elizabeth paused for a moment and then began to pace once more. "Do you have any idea of the price I've paid for your husband's nearsightedness? There are hundreds — thousands, even — of Atlesian soliders that are dead because of Ozpin and his lies! If he —"

"Elizabeth, please —" Ozpin calmly interjected.

"If you had told us everything from the start, we could have saved Edward Ciel!" Elizabeth angrily but off. "We could have evaded the wars we've been fighting for decades in Vacuo over dust and putting an end to terrorism! More people die in combat everyday when they don't even know what they're truly fighting! Do you really think Atlesian specialists or lieutenants or any other lower to mid-ranking service members know who Adam Taurus or Sienna fucking Khan answer to? No!"

A heavy silence followed her words. Ozpin looked away, guilt rising within him, and Cristal bit her lip, unsure of what to say or if she could reason with Elizabeth. For so long, they had been good friends and colleagues but, suddenly, the air felt very different between them. Elizabeth, too, held her tongue for a moment, worrying she had gone too far and was undermining her own words. She feared she was proving herself to be unfit to lead but she feared even more that Ozpin was leading them astray. She refused to acknowledge Raven as being the first to recognize Ozpin's shortcomings yet she was desperately afraid that everything they claimed to be working towards was nothing but a wild goose chase. After all, they all had decades invested in their little group and had made little progress and Elizabeth, for one, felt that she had been taken advantage of. There was quite a bit of anger behind her words, and even she knew there was a faint longing for power. She was still jealous of Ronnie's position as the Atlesian president — one of the most popular and well before the end of his first term — and she felt severely underestimated. She had enough of being taken advantage of years before and she was Elizabeth Morell, the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council for nearly twenty years. She was not in the mood to be pushed aside or not heeded, not anymore.

"I'm not going to apologize for being honest on this matter," Elizabeth finally said. "Most especially when you two haven't been."

"You are exaggerating —" Cristal began irritably.

"Exaggerating?" Elizabeth laughed dryly. "How am I exaggerating when you and I both know that so many die for Ozpin's sins while he has no remorse? Do you really think he's fit to lead, or are you just blinded by the fact that he's set aside your arrogance and married you anyways?"

Cristal angrily activated her powers as the Winter Maiden and glared at Elizabeth when she stood up and started towards her.

"I've always considered you a friend, Eliza," Cristal said, her voice shaking. "Do you really want to tread that line?"

Elizabeth took a small step back and activated her semblance, hydrokinesis.

"Maybe I have overstepped," She conceded. "But you cannot honestly tell me I'm wrong."

Elizabeth pushed Cristal's faint snowstorm towards her and stormed out of the room. What she never saw that night, though, was Cristal collapsing to her knees while her powers threatened to overwhelm her and Ozpin, for all his efforts, struggled to help.

* * *

"Oh, hell yeah!"

Matt Mar-Ciel grinned like a madman and slammed his fists together before running at the couch and springing over it like a hurdle. Samara and Lysithea shared a bored look and Lysithea rolled her eyes. Matt, however, smirked at his cousins and sarcastically saluted them. He had briefly gone home a few weeks before, in large part to ease the fears of his increasingly worried mother, and he had come back even weirder than before, if that were possible. When Annetta had found his scroll, shit had gone down. She had made it a point to show her teammates and Ruby and Weiss some of the ridiculous pictures of her cousin that he had, one of which showed him screaming on a mechanical bull. Ruby had laughed herself onto the floor and Weiss had struggled to be a voice of reason as she often was with them. Ultimately, what had caused Matt to try and prove his superiority to all of them, was Lysithea's consistently inappropriate (and, often, decidedly mean) comments about the length of his shorts from the pictures she had found of him running at cross country meets. Thus, in an effort to prove his cousin wrong, Matt had taken to greeting everything around him as a challenge. As it happened, it had only worked out for him about sixty percent of the time.

_"Why are you…" Emmett Schnee had, in a rare move, set his coffee aside and stared at his nephew in confusion. "Why are you dressed like you're going to kill Batman?"_

_Matt had shrugged and grinned uncomfortably before he realized he was proving his uncle's point._

_"Why do you wear tight hootchie pants?" He had sassily replied. "Don't you think —"_

_Matt had paused upon his aunt irritably stepping into the room. She was wearing a long, form fitting black dress, red silk gloves, and a white mink coat, which, considering the newly permanent state of her hair, greatly amused Matt. Emmett, however, smiled despite the annoyed look his wife sent him. Matt was then almost certain that she saw what he was seeing and, because of it, he had to restrain himself from bursting out into laughter. He knew just as well as everyone else that she was still angry about what had happened to her hair and they all knew it was going to take a while before she was used to having monochrome hair. Still, being a teenager with minimal self-control, Matt couldn't help himself. It was too damn funny and he could barely believe that Emmett had perked up so much upon seeing her. As Matt would later tell (much to the disgust of Sam and Lily, neither of whom had wanted to think about anything their parents could possibly do when they were alone), he thought it was a strange look to be so attracted to._

_"I am not wearing this, Emmett!" Emmeline had said, crossing her arms. "And especially not if we're going out! I look —"_

_"Beautiful —" Emmett had started, pushing up his glasses before he sighed and loosely embraced her._

_"Like you wanna make a coat out of someone's dalmatians?" Matt had coyly suggested. "We could get you a fake smoke stick and —"_

_He had paused when Emmett sent him a sharp look that implied he should quit while he was ahead. It was then Matt raised an eyebrow and smirked._

_"Oh…" He had said, struggling not to laugh. "I get it, okay. Speaking of which, I think your pants might be a little inappropriate right now since they kinda —"_

Matt burst out into uncontrollable laughter at the memory, not even finishing his telling of the story. Based on the looks he was getting, that was probably in his best interest. Ruby had squealed and taken cover under cape while Sam and Lily had both began to angrily protest. Annie had smacked him upside the head and given him a slight shock with her magic, and Weiss merely stared at him in utter disgust. He only stopped laughing when Sam yelled that she would duel him if he brought the subject up again before storming out of the room in a huff. Ruby then peeked at all of them from under her cape before shrugging it down and Weiss affectionately put an arm around her and kissed her cheek. While Matt took advantage of the brief moment of peace and stretched out, Lily pulled out her scroll and began to look up insults to throw her cousin's way. She was too slow, though, and it was Annetta who broke the silence.

"You're disgusting sometimes," She said, sending Matt a dark look. "And I can't believe you made a sex joke around aunt Emmeline and uncle Emmett."

Matt shrugged. "It wasn't hard...if you know what I mean."

Weiss threw a pillow at him. "You're the worst!"

"I've spent a lot of time around Qrow," Matt said, shrugging. "He jokes about them all the time."

"That sounds like my dad," Ruby shook her head and chuckled. "He has a lot of inappropriate stories."

"Yeah he does…" Lily muttered. "I can't wait to get him back for it."

Annetta laughed. "And I'll be the one behind the deranged mastermind that set it up."

* * *

The small, otherwise diplomatic transport from Menagerie landed quietly in a secure location in downtown Mistral. As it had happened, General Emmeline Ciel had let slip to a certain fiery blonde who was landing where. While she ordinarily wouldn't have passed such information on to a young huntress, let alone an unlicensed one, the circumstances had persisted. The only thing that had annoyed her was the obnoxious insistence of the Spring Maiden to accompy her daughter to the landing site. There were many reasons Emmeline Ciel did not trust Raven Branwen, but the most concerning of those stemmed from the Spring Maiden's horrible tendency towards wandering off and then returning hours later with no explanation.

If she had lacked all self-restraint, Emmeline would have accused her of any number of crimes but, for the time being, she remained silent. As a result, Raven Branwen stood side by side with her daughter when the transport landed. Yang was not without apprehension herself; after all, she and her mother were still not on the best of terms. She still did not protest and, however irritably, resigned herself to merely sigh until her partner stepped off the transport. She and Blake stared at each other for a moment, almost overwhelmed, and then tightly embraced each other while several members of the Menagerie Guard watched carefully.

"Been awhile, huh?" Yang said when she released her partner. "You look...great, you really do."

Blake awkwardly smiled. "You too."

A soft silence fell over them and, unfortunately, was rather quickly broken by a guard starting towards Raven, who did not take kindly to their presence.

"Who are you?" The guard asked, a hand resting over his weapon.

Raven narrowed her eyes. "Does it concern you, pup?"

"Mom," Yang started warningly.

The guard eyed Yang suspiciously for a moment but turned back to Raven upon catching glimpse of a faint nod from Blake.

"Yes, your identity concerns me," The guard matched her scowl while watching, as insurance, Yang and Blake climb onto the blonde's motorcycle and drive off towards the city. "I will repeat," He said shortly. "Who are you?"

Raven sighed. "Elizabeth Morell."

The guard took a step back, surprised by her answer if a little suspicious. He knew, of course, that a few Atlesian Council and military officials were in Mistral but, much to the irritation of those in Menagerie, who was there as well as their specific locations had been left out of the communications for what the Atlesian Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action had claimed to be "security purposes." In actuality, as everyone in Menagerie (including its monarchs) well knew, it was yet another demonstration of the Atlesian Council having interests rather than allies and it was, clearly, not in their interests to be completely transparent. It seemed to fit, however, that Elizabeth Morell would be hesitant to reveal her identity. The woman before him, too, seemed as opulent as anyone in Menagerie would expect Morell to be.

The woman had black hair and dark eyes, was extremely pale (although without Elizabeth's light freckles, something which slipped the guard's notice), and she was wearing pearl earrings and a matching necklace against a wine red dress and black tights. Her heels seemed to be gold, and she seemed perfectly composed. The guard still felt something was wrong but, deciding it was his own mistrust of Atlesians, he let it go and nodded respectfully. He flinched upon seeing her smirk but nevertheless began to walk with her towards the supposedly protected location. After all, there would be quite a bit to sort out along arrival. This, however, did not take long and, even with his reservations, he could not help but breathe a sigh of relief when they entered the driveway.

"Taiyang!" The guard exclaimed upon seeing the blonde man crawl out from beneath a pick up truck. "What has it been, ten, fifteen years?"

Tai smiled when he looked up and embraced the man.

"Fifteen," Tai said as he released him. "Although I'm surprised you're here, Mike."

He shrugged. "Business is business. You know —"

"Tai, I need you to…" Elizabeth Morell paused in the doorway, frowning. "Who's this and why are the two of you —"

"Step back," Mike ordered her, stepping in front of Raven. "I have direct orders from the Menagerie royal family to not allow harm to be incurred on Elizabeth Morell, whom was so kind as to personally escort me here."

A heavy silence befell them. Tai looked particularly exasperated and sent Raven a dark look, to which she only smirked, and his wife, the real Elizabeth Morell, angrily pulled her ID out of her purse and stalked towards Mike before shoving it in his face.

"I don't know how stupid you all are," She said disdainfully, sending Raven a sour look. "But she is Raven Branwen, someone who, as it happens —"

"Eliza —" Tai started, laughing anxiously.

"— is a fugitive at best," Elizabeth went on, briefly scowling at Tai. "I understand things are different where you're from, but I would recommend you think logically rather than letting your tail think for all of you."

Mike bristled and, despite himself, his tail started flicking angrily.

"And, to be frank," Elizabeth said, taking his silence to mean he was dumbfounded. "I do not and will not ever need input on how to handle Atlesian security from a...mutt like you! You are here as a fail safe in case of assault from people like you jepordize the mission but, let me be clear, you will not be returning with us to Atlas! Our borders are closed — no one in and no one out — with exceptions only for those pre-approved to travel by the Council and more specifically the State Department! Have I made myself clear?"

Mike took in a sharp breath and attempted to calm himself before he spoke.

"Yes, I believe you have," He said curtly. "I suppose we are at your discretion, Madame President."

Elizabeth narrowed her eyes. "Your formality is misplaced there," She said dangerously. "I am not yet the Atlesian president but, rather, the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council for almost twenty years now."

"Yet?" Raven repeated, glancing to Elizabeth dubiously.

"Precisely," Elizabeth said haughtily, not even relaxing when Tai came over to her and, an arm wrapped around her waist, started to lead her back inside. "And, both of you," Elizabeth put in, halfway inside and briefly turning towards them with a small, self-satisfied smile. "Either learn your places or prepare yourselves for having perhaps too much to answer for."

Fittingly, she slammed the door shut behind herself and Tai with her heels and it shut with a short, harsh snap.

* * *

"There is nothing wrong with being aroused by my wife," Emmett Schnee said, giving Emmeline (who had blushed pink) a loving squeeze before scowling at his teammate (and best friend). "You and James are plenty affectionate. Don't be a hypocrite."

Glynda rolled her eyes. "I'm not being hypocritical by saying you should be quieter."

Emmeline nervously raised an eyebrow. "I'm almost afraid to ask what you mean."

Glynda sighed. "Last night while the kids were out, Cristal and Oz were downtown, Raven was God knows where, and Tai, Qrow, Eliza, and James were in a meeting with Leo, I was trying to read. Because of Emmett, I ended up having to bring a blanket out onto the balcony so I could read without hearing you tell your wife that you think it would be sexy of her to skin some dalmatian puppies and turn them into a fur coat."

Emmeline buried her face in her hands. "I can't believe you heard that..."

Emmett pressed a gentle kiss to her forehead. "It's fine, Emmy," He assured her. "At least it was only Glynda. It could be worse."

Emmeline briefly glared at him. "I suppose…" She muttered.

"Also, I meant what I said," Emmett added, ruffling her black and white hair. "It would be sexy of you."

"It was bad enough hearing that the first time," Glynda reminded him, adjusting her glasses out of habit. "Did you really need to capitulate on the point?"

Emmett shrugged. "I have this shitty tendency to make things worse when I think I'm making them better."

Emmeline laughed. "Like the other day when you and Ronnie were all but yelling at each other on the phone and you called him a —"

"I've called your brother a lot of things!" Emmett protested. "Some of which I got from things I've heard Lysithea say."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "You've called Ronnie things your daughter has? Are you sure you're really an adult?"

"Emmett's always been a man child," Emmeline said with a teasing smile, reaching up to tap his nose. "That's why he's my trophy husband."

Emmett smirked. "In more ways than one, too."

Glynda briefly activated her maiden powers to shock him, something to which he reacted grandly.

"That hurt like hell!" Emmett yelped, taking his glasses off for a moment to rub the bridge of his nose. "When did you get so powerful? Have you been practicing? Did Chrissy —"

He cut himself off upon seeing a blurry figure step into the room. When he all but slammed his glasses back onto his face, Emmett found himself at all loss for any lightheartedness he had before and was never more relieved to see his other teammate alive. He was no more relieved than Glynda, however, who, after a moment of stunned silence quickly stood up and tightly embraced her husband, who looked far more disheveled than usual. James held Glynda close for a minute, gently tucking part of her hair behind her ear and giving her a few seconds to calm down. He knew he looked terrible. Apart from the fact that his beard was a little shaggy (something he knew was both his own fault and something that mildly annoyed Glynda), he knew his uniform was torn in a few places and that Adam had managed to draw a bit of blood from his natural arm. He was also certain he would have a black eye, later. Emmeline was almost as shocked as Emmett, who seemed both unsure of how to react and — unusually — at a complete loss for words. Finally, after a few minutes, James gently released his wife and the two of them sat down at the small table across from Emmett and Emmeline.

"Before I ask what happened," Emmett nervously began, still struggling to compose himself. "I just wanna warn you that Elizabeth has been on one today."

James sighed. "Is this still about Ozpin?"

Emmeline snorted. "If it isn't, then I'm sure I can ask Ronnie what he did to incur her wrath."

A heavy silence befell them and, for awhile, it seemed no one was willing to break it.

"Adam Taurus is in the city," James eventually said, tiredly probing his forehead. "I'm not sure why he's here but, whatever the reason, it can't be good. When the power went out, he cornered me in an alleyway and I'm sure the rest is self-explanatory."

Glynda tensed, her hand tightening on his shoulder.

"That could throw a wrench in our plans," She said darkly. "Did he —"

"He was mostly taunting, once he realized I had figured out who he was," James said, and she grimaced. "I'll tell you more later, but, for now —"

"He's a little bitch," Emmett put in, and James sighed. "Not to mention a whore."

Glynda scowled. "That isn't helping."

"Regardless, this must be noted," Emmeline said, pulling out her scroll while every word she spoke seemed to be getting faster and faster. "He cannot be underestimated, and if there is even a slight chance he and his followers in the White Fang had anything to do with the power outage —"

"I know," James said, and she paused for a moment, her fingers lingering over her work email. "But we can't be hasty. The more people who know about this, the more dangerous —"

"You don't understand, James!" Emmeline snapped, slamming her scroll down on the table and startling all of them, including Emmett. "These are the people that murdered my father! These are the people who have been trying to kill my family members and myself for years! I say we take this chance to end this right here instead of being paranoid —"

"Emmy, sweetheart —" Emmett started worriedly, taking her hand tightly in his.

She fell briefly silent, tears biting at the corners of her eyes.

"I've been robbed time and time again of retribution," Emmeline said softly, her voice breaking. "And, between Oz's lies and this...I can't take it anymore. I've lived almost my entire life in fear, and —"

"That's why we're staying a step ahead of them," James gently told her. "If we keep this between the four of us, we can handle it discretely."

Emmeline brushed the tears away from her eyes while she considered his point.

"We'll scout the areas they've been seen tomorrow and blow them up when we get the chance," She said with almost shocking hatred. "They did worse to my father...and they should count their lucky stars we're more merciful."

Glynda and James briefly shared a notably concerned look with Emmett but none of them said anything despite knowing they were beginning to see a side of Emmeline Ciel that even her husband had only seen unleashed once before. Emmett knew then, without a doubt, that Emmeline had fallen into the same desperation she had the day Ashlynn had tried to claim her life nearly twenty years before.

* * *

Leonardo Lionheart took yet another anxious look around the office that, within the end of the month, would no longer be his. He dreaded the knowledge that he had given up everything because of his daughter, and he dreaded the place he knew he would end up. He knew he would be far safer in maximum security prison in Atlas than he ever would be in Mistral and yet he was terrified of it. He was terrified of Karissa Mar and the deal he had made with her. He was terrified of Ronnie Ciel — his son in law and a man he knew held no sympathy for him. He was terrified of the future, of what could be coming for him, and he was terrified of what the rest of the group would say when they found out of his nearly twenty years of deceit. Leo knew he even feared Emmett Schnee for his bitterness regarding his sister and, not to mention the wrath they all knew Emmeline could unleash for her husband's sake or her own. But, for everything around him he feared, Leo was most afraid of the Queen herself even though he was well aware she still believed him to be one of her many pawns. An obedient servant, even. She was capable of destroying everything on a whim and he was utterly paralyzed by the knowledge that she would kill him — brutally and without hesitation — when she got word of his betrayal.

It was a terrifying thought and an even more terrifying reality.

Now, Leo well knew, he was bound and his hands were tied. He had told Karissa Mar everything to gain her trust and a little bit of clemency, and now he had nothing left but fear and his life. His only consolation was the knowledge that Ashlynn Schnee was dead and would not come after him. She would no longer be demanding power or access to a relic he could not open even the chamber to. Just as well, she would not be coming to him for a place to hide whilst she evaded what powers may be in Atlas. She could not force his hand any longer, but more powerful people could and Leo believed that made them more dangerous. He did not think Karissa Mar or anyone on the Atlesian Council were evil (and certainly not to the extent Ashlynn Schnee had been) but he did believe — no, he knew — they wielded immense international power. They didn't need to beg, steal, or barter on the international stage; they could do almost anything they wanted if the could justify it and everyone in the Atlesian government (especially the higher-ups) knew it. They were astute to the nth degree and every action they ever took was cold and calculated. Atlas was the freest and strongest kingdom but it was also the kingdom with the darkest secrets.

"Leonardo."

He jumped backwards upon hearing the all too familiar man enter his office, and (as always) not alone. Leo stared at him for a moment, still clutching his chest in fear while he tried to take in Watts and his companions. There was a young tanned woman with close-cropped hair whom Leonardo had not seen before but the other two he knew. They had been students at his Academy, after all. Yet, without Ashlynn Schnee there as extra intimidation, they seemed comparatively weak. His face still covered by his fear, Leo realized things in the next few weeks would likely go easily unless they received the support of the White Fang. It was all he could do not to fall to his knees and begin praying for the White Fang to lie in wait. He wanted things to be over with quickly and involving the White Fang, especially if the rumors that Adam Taurus had managed to sneak into the capital were true, would make everything much messier. Still, he kept reminding himself, Ashlynn was dead and that was a tremendous edge for Atlas and Ozpin's group to have. His mind persisted, though, and things suddenly felt as terrible as they always did. With Watts and the others roaming his office, that feeling was only amplified three fold.

"This is Vernal," Watts said, gesturing to the tanned woman. "The Spring Maiden."

Leonardo swallowed hard. "The Spring Maiden?" He repeated, trembling.

Vernal snorted. "Who else?"

Watts smirked. "We're going to finalize our plans for the coming days here. Do make sure the...group will be in your academy's sinfully large ballroom on the thirteenth. We'd like to handle this quickly, after all."

Leonardo nodded weakly, his knees threatening to give out.

"Of course," He choked out. "It will all be prepared by then."


	73. No Safe Haven

**_August 13th_**

**_Haven Academy_**

**_City of Mistral_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:55 PM_**

All was dark when the small group stepped into the expansive ballroom at Haven Academy. Even the diamond chandeliers did not glint, and the uneasy feeling that was settling over them all was only amplified by the seemingly empty room. It was the largest part of Haven, a fact that was unsurprising when the opulence of the families who sent their children to the academy were considered. This was most certainly not Atlas where the academy also prepared many students directly for the military, being that Atlas Academy (or the naval academy, as many referred to it) was only one of four military academies in Atlas. This was a place that created wealthy oligarchs who could hold their own in a fight and, even more worrying, it was the place that had given Ashlynn Schnee a place to hide shortly after her first disappearance and, later, after her escape from jail. It set everyone on edge, and amplified those feelings in a few of them.

Ruby had one hand tightly intertwined with Weiss' with Crescent Rose ready to fire in the other. Weiss was also prepared and kept her free hand resting over the hilt of her sword. Blake moved quickly around all of them, flitting about as if she were expecting an attack at any moment. Yang followed after her partner, her fists clenched, and trying to avoid her mother's gaze. Raven had barely said a word to any of them all day, something which concerned all of them. The discomfort was not helped by the palpable tension between Tai and his ex-wife, both of whom kept sending the other decidedly nasty looks whenever they were given the chance. Whether or not the aminosity between then was a result of her leaving or the (much more recent) spats with Elizabeth was immaterial; it was yet another sign of how frayed they were all becoming. General Ciel's sudden orders for multiple assassinations had not made things any better, either.

Elizabeth and James had both refused to second the demands Emmeline had made and had gone so far as to call Karissa Mar in Atlas to have a tertiary rejection of the move. The result had not been pretty and Emmeline had refused to speak to them for several days before she had been coaxed out of it by Emmett. Even now, with her hair tied up in a long monochrome braid, she seemed tense and a little unsteady. Emmett had long since sensed it, and had an arm protectively wrapped around her while their daughters kept exchanging nervous looks that suggested neither of them knew what to make of the sudden anger that risen in their mother.

Annetta, too, walked cautiously with her hands clenched nervously around her axe. She herself was worried for her mother but for very different reasons. Annetta did not fear Cristal was unraveling the way her cousins and uncle feared Emmeline was; it was the knowledge that Cristal, while immensely powerful in her own right, had rarely fought and, if a fight was in fact to happen, would have to expend her maiden powers and her semblance to extents she had never needed to before. Ozpin, however, held full faith in her and only kept his hand wrapped tightly in hers to keep her calm for the time being.

Of course, Cristal was not alone in feeling that something was not right. Both James and Glynda kept a tight hold on their respective weapons and they kept glancing to each other anxiously. Qrow seemed to be the only one among them whom truly appeared to be calm but even he did not like the situation. He trusted Leo and he trusted Ozpin but he was not so sure he still trusted some of the others, especially Emmeline. He had never expected for her to be so hardline and he feared she was nearing a breaking point. He hated he held such doubt of someone he'd trusted for so long, but he couldn't help it. Reaching for his scythe, he sighed heavily.

It was all too horrible and he didn't want to believe any of it. He hated the notion of an ally of two decades endangering them, and he almost hated himself for pondering it. Then, they all stopped. The lights began to impossibly flicker before cutting out again and, within a minute, there was a short scream from Cristal and a few bolts of lightning before everything became bright enough for the room to be seen in focus. The Winter Maiden had been brought to her knees and had deep scratches up and down her arms. Her aura, still strong, was rippling over her in waves and Ozpin was temporarily distracted, trying to heal his wife.

Annetta let out a yelp in horror upon seeing her mother, which was met by a piercing, jeering laugh, signalling the worst had yet to come. That was when they could see who they were going to have to deal with. Shifty as ever, Leonardo fidgeted from where he was, still acting as a spy on the enemy. Out from the shadows then stepped Emerald Sustrai, armed to the teeth and tensing when she saw Glynda. Soon beside her was Mercury, who winked at Yang mockingly. The brawler did not take kindly to this and started towards him but was stopped when Blake gently grabbed her hand.

Tai stepped in front of his daughter and her teammates in a protective move, and Raven pushed forward to analyze the situation for herself. She was horrified when Vernal appeared beside Mercury but, upon meeting her gaze, realized Vernal had a plot afoot to handle the ones she appeared to be siding with. It was shortly after that Hazel Rainart revealed himself and he let out a primal scream of rage when he saw Ozpin. He almost charged towards him but was held back by a series of ropes from one of the many weapons in the hands of one of the last people they had expected to see: Sienna Kahn, the high leader of the White Fang herself.

"I've spent many years trying to bring about justice, even when it was by means that were not...initially acceptable," Sienna said, stepping to the forefront and crossing her arms. "And I couldn't pass up this opportunity, not when the boy told me you all would be here tonight."

Her gaze lingered in Emmeline Ciel, who met her stare with a look of unwavering loathing.

"I killed Edward Ciel almost exactly twenty one years ago, didn't I?" Sienna shook her head and went on. "If only he had listened to me...perhaps he would have been useful."

"You are utterly without mercy and remorse, aren't you?" Emmeline hissed. "Do you honestly believe you're going to come out of any confrontation with Atlas alive?"

Sienna tossed her hair over her shoulder. "I do, because I have support, not to mention the fact that I'm sure you and James Ironwood have lost your touch. And, I have to say, I never would have expected to see Cristal Schnee of all people here. I thought all she did was put my people in jail for doing what's right."

Emmeline was about to respond to the woman's taunts but James was faster.

"We aren't here seeking a fight," He said calmly, if looking disdainfully at Kahn. "If you all agree to surrender now, we won't harm you."

Sienna laughed mirthlessly. "That's where you're mistaken, General. We are here for a fight and we're not going to stop until we have the victory that has been long overdue. Your arrogance ends here, I'm afraid."

"Is that so?" Emmeline snapped. "You're delusional, you're —"

"Right!" Sienna yelled, intentionally trying to provoke the Atlesian general. "I was right to kill your father and I was right to vow to end your family line and I will start right now by killing you!"

"Oh, really?" Emmeline angrily challenged, taking Emmett's sword before he could object. "Survive my wrath!"

Emmeline suddenly darted towards the woman, sword drawn. Her mind was racing too fast for her to think clearly but, once she was in perfect range, she still steadied her hands and raised the sword up. She then leaped and set herself to strike a lethal blow but just barely missed and, instead of stabbing the leader of the White Fang clean through, only managed to get a deep graze through the young woman's right arm and part of her chest. Sienna cried out in pain but, almost as soon as Emmeline had landed back on the ground, used a powerful aura blast to knock the general back halfway across the room.

The action broke what had remained of her aura after the general's attack but was strong enough to shake the room. Mercury cursed, for once wishing that Watts was there to fight alongside them despite knowing the man would be nearly to Atlas since his departure shortly after their meeting with Leo. The seconds that followed were tense at best, and the low lighting began to flicker again more and more. Emmett had run to his wife's side to help her off the ground and steady her and the rest of them were prepared for an all out fight. It was more than clear, after all, that Emmeline Ciel had set something in motion.

"You...are out of your mind," Sienna wheezed, pushing herself back up off the floor. "And you will...pay for doing this to me…"

Chaos then erupted. Sienna, in an attempt to confuse them all, changed targets and ran towards James with lethal intent. She was unsuccessful, however, and was knocked several feet back by a well aimed dust glyph summoned by Glynda. The high leader of the White Fang panted, cursing all the while, and began shortly thereafter to yell at her companions to kill all that stood in their way. She began to heal herself while a few of her lackeys from outside came to both guard and aid her. Leonardo took no action, unsure if he would survive if he revealed his true loyalties so soon.

Vernal, however, gave up on subterfuge and kicked Mercury in the back to give herself a head start to reconvene with Raven. It wasn't as if she gave a damn about anyone else there. Then there were Emerald and Mercury, both of whom seemed initially too stunned to act. It took a moment but, almost without warning, they tore off in opposite directions. With everything a blur in the chaos, it was hard for the group, though they outnumbered their foes, to tell what was going on. Exploding dust crystals were flying everywhere, the chandeliers were shaking, the lights were flickering, and everything seemed uncertain for a time.

Emerald ran at Cristal Schnee, who seemed defenseless while Glynda, nearby, was trying to clear the smoke and dust with her semblance. Not yet deciding to bother with her weapons, Emerald threw a sharp punch that left the Winter Maiden winded and on her knees. Glynda knocked the young woman back but Emerald was quickly running towards Cristal again. Terrified, Cristal activated her maiden powers and enveloped the young woman in a small snowstorm. By the time she was able to escape from the Winter Maiden's storm, she was disoriented at best and both of her opponents took advantage of this to ward her off. With the combination of Glynda using her semblance and Cristal using her powers as the Winter Maiden to keep Ashlynn's apprentice at bay, she was thrown far back from her original target. She landed on the ground on the other side of the ballroom and, briefly stunned and stopped around her, were Jaune Arc, Lie Ren, and Matt Mar-Ciel.

When she saw Jaune's face contort in anger, Emerald smirked at him and gritted her teeth while she got off the ground. She then pulled the gun Watts had given her a week before from its holster on her side and pointed it at him before the others. She knew as well as Jaune did that she had been Cinder's only apprentice and favorite subordinate, and she knew exactly why that enraged him. He glowered at her, but, through gritted teeth, she only smirked and set herself up to shoot all three of them. She lingered over Matt and, when she remembered who he was, fired her first shot at him.

He ducked out of the way and pulled out his own gun to fire back at her in retaliation, managing to shoot her in the arm after three attempts. Emerald shrieked in pain and her aura rippled over her; then, she set the gun to her side and decided she preferred to fight the three of them fist to fist. This startled Jaune when she tore at him, attempting to tackle him to the ground, and he only escaped her fury because he jumped out of the way, letting out a decidedly short, shrill scream. She ended up, because of Jaune's fright, with her fists locked against Matt Mar-Ciel's. Much to her misfortune, he unleashed his silver, knife-like gauntlets from within his sleeves within a few seconds of her sharply smashing into him.

They rippped at her aura and scratched up her fists, only serving to heighten her already violent anger. She kicked him in the stomach to knock him back long enough to rip out her hunting knife. By the time he was at her throat again, she was ready. She parried the sharp edges of his gauntlets with her knife, looking for a weak spot to exploit. She found one quickly but she could not stab him through it because, just before she could lodge the knife under his gauntlets, a gunshot whistles past her ear in warning. Emerald whipped around, startled, and was tackled by Ren who, due to the stealth he had gained after years on his own with only Nora, slammed an experimental aura cuff onto her wrist. She yelled, but was severely restricted by the loss of access to her aura and semblance.

"The...hell...did you get that?" Emerald spat, and Ren smirked with a knowing glance to Matt. "Well?" She demanded.

Ren shrugged. "Might have nicked it from the briefcase of an Atlesian Council official or maybe I didn't. Either way…"

Emerald thrashed out of his grasp and sprinted away, seemingly finding a place to hide until she were in a better position to fight. Jaune, Matt, and even a slightly prideful Ren smacked their hands together victoriously but they were alone in the feeling. The lights continued to flicker, and the plumes of exploded dust were still distorting the rest of the ballroom. They could not see much, but, amongst the chaos, their friends and teammates were fighting the others — including Emerald's partner. Surrounded just as the others were in continuously exploding plumes of smoke, Ruby, and Weiss were fighting Mercury with the aid of Lysithea and Samara. He was a vicious opponent.

It seemed, for every glyph Weiss sent his way, he managed to jump out of their snares before they could take effect. With every swing of Ruby's beloved scythe, he managed to block it with his metal foot. Samara kept missing every shot she fired at him, and Lysithea was struggling to keep him in range for her dust manipulations. It was almost as if he had no weaknesses to exploit, from his metal foot to his head. However, upon him smacking Ruby's scythe with his foot and creating a rippling recoil effect around them, Lysithea, a mastermind like no other, found his weakness — and all while she, her sister, cousin, and friend were struggling to get off the ground.

"You girls are cute," Mercury teased, smirking at all of them as he dusted off his boot. "Hell, you've obviously been practicing...but you're missing one key thing. I've got years on you."

He laughed, looking at Ruby, who only clutched Crescent Rose tighter, waiting for a prime opportunity to shoot.

"And Ciel's kids seem to have her temperament," Mercury went on, much to the annoyance of Samara and Lysithea. "All things considered —"

"You're getting cocky, you little —" Lysithea started, angrily tossing a bowl of ice dust to Weiss.

Mercury merely winked in reply and finally turned on the former Schnee heiress, who, unbeknownst to him, had caught onto her cousin's scheme.

"Aren't you just a delicate little flower?" He taunted, enjoying the anger he saw rising in her face. "Just an heiress, right? How come you think you stronger than someone like me?"

"Because I'm more than an heiress!" Weiss snapped, activating her semblance and encapsulating Mercury in an ice crystal for a moment. "And you're irrelevant!"

He stumbled upon the ice shattering around him and started at them again when the room stopped spinning but even he knew he was considerably weakened. In the dust and smoke, though, a dangerous collegue of his was not. Hazel Rainart, having long since lost sight of Ozpin and Cristal in the fighting, had charged after the supposed traitor — Vernal — and had been furiously held back by her leader, Tai, Yang, and Blake. A brawler at heart just like his daughter, Tai was focused on one thing: breaking their opponent's aura. He threw punches and kicks at him right alongside Yang and their synchronicity from years of him training her showed. Many of the punches he missed were compensated by her own, and it was more than apparent that their foe was having trouble deciding whom to deal with first.

The brute was surrounded, after all, by a frenzy of punches and kickes, courtesy of the father and daughter brawling duo, and he kept being smacked in the sides by Raven and Vernal's blades. Yet one opponent of his caught his eye by the cat ears on her head. He knew exactly who she was even though she did not know him. The girl who was whipping around him, helping the others assault his aura, was the princess of Menagerie herself. For all his faults, Hazel had never imagined he would fight the girl who one day would lead him and his brethren but, as she was clearly unopposed to fighting him, he believed that he did not have much of a choice.

"Aren't you supposed to be on our side?" Hazel roared at Blake. "You think these humans give a damn about you?"

Blake swallowed hard but nodded despite her fear of what he could still be capable of.

"I know at least one of them does," She said, brushing her hair over her shoulder.

Blake wrapped him up with a long whip out of Gambol Shroud. Yang then winked at her partner, taking advantage of the moment, and began to punch at him relentlessly, trying to break his aura. Tai began to do the same, but Hazel managed to catch Yang's wrist halfway to striking him again and threw her out of the fight. Yet then, through the smoke, Qrow and Raven Branwen smacked him with their swords and he fell to his knees, cursing. Running right back into the fight just as Blake wrapped her weapon around the man again, Yang angrily threw a sharp punch into his side. She was the compounded by Nora striking him in the back with Magnhild and, of course, a wild grin.

Curiously, though, it was tiny Annetta Schnee that, with a mighty swing from her axe, tore through the plumes of smoke and broke his aura. She landed like she had from her days as a competitive gymnast, and they all readied themselves to take Hazel down. He let out a horrible, primal, ear-piercing roar and prepared to take all of them down with his sheer force and anger but that was when the explosions went silent and the dust and smoke briefly cleared. Within less than a minute, things were clear enough for there to be relative sight of everything around them. It was then they all realized that Emmeline Ciel had tackled Sienna to the ground and had her rifle pointed clearly at the woman's head. She was ready to kill.

"Are you going to kill me?" Sienna taunted, struggling still to summon enough energy to slam Ciel off of her. "And cause Adam Taurus to take my place? Really, do you even have it in you to kill me?"

"I don't want to," Emmeline hissed, glancing away as she steadied her finger over the trigger. "But you're in my way."

Emmeline pushed down on her rifle's trigger but was suddenly slammed backwards by a man who briefly seemed larger than life. Her shot missed her target, who managed to scuttle away, and instead lodged itself in Hazel Rainart's arm. He grunted and let out an indignant yell before he charged at the general but was stopped by a glyph and then by the snap of a sword's blade against his skin. He looked up to find himself parrying both Emmett Schnee and Emmeline Ciel while both of them moved to attack him. A few seconds later, though, the man Hazel had been after all along began to fight with them. Ozpin, like Emmett and Emmeline, was, too, quickly caught up in the crazed frenzy.

Though he would never confess to any weakness, let alone in front of Ozpin, he knew that the beatings he had already taken had greatly reduced his aura. It would not be long before it snapped entirely, and Hazel was well aware, as he continued to thrash at Ozpin, Schnee, and Ciel, that things would not end well for him if he did not end their confrontation quickly. Ozpin was the only one he sought to kill; though he detested Emmett Schnee for all the things the man's father had done, he would have to be a prize for another day. The same was true of Emmeline Ciel; Hazel knew she was dangerous but, at the same time, she was not an immediate issue. It would always be on Ozpin's head.

Letting out a loud, primal scream, Hazel smacked Emmett and Emmeline back far too suddenl for them to escape from his fury. The brute then turned on the man he had sought all along to kill. Ozpin steadied himself and considered, if only briefly, trying to reason with the man but realized it would be no use. Hazel charged at him, making no attempts to hide that he was going for the kill. Ozpin tightened his hand around his cane and, when Hazel was too close to be stopped in his rampage, jumped out of the way. It was then Emmett managed to jump onto Hazel's back and cling there, his sword stretched to his side. He was a distraction, he knew, and Ozpin took advantage of his brother-in-law's scheme.

With Hazel temporarily distracted in trying to shake Emmett off of him, Ozpin and Emmeline charged at Hazel from both sides. Just when she shot him in his right side with a fire dust bullet, Ozpin smacked him with his cane from the left. Between their attacks and Emmett's almost amusing thrashing, Hazel's aura broke. He let loose an enraged yell but it was cut short by Emmett, who used the hilt of his sword to hit the brute in the back of the head. The force was more than enough, and, for Hazel, everything began to go dark. He fell to the ground unconscious but the last thing he saw was not the man he blamed for his sister's death. Rather, he saw Sienna Kahn closing in on her new targets just as the smoke she had been creating filled the room again.

"You're a misguided little girl," Sienna said, spitting on the ground before starting to approach Ruby, Weiss, Sam, and Lily. "A misguided little girl with ties, it seems, to some cruel friends."

Weiss met her harsh gaze unwaveringly. "I'm sorry for my family's share of wrongs," She said, her hand tightening around Myrtenaster. "But killing more people isn't going to make things right."

Miffed by her words, Sienna started towards her but was pulled back by Ruby's scythe. More than anything else, there was tension. As Sienna pulled out her whip and began to fight them in earnest, the four girls prepared themselves for defense. None of them wanted to kill her, but they all recognised that Sienna did want to kill them. It was then and there that they readied their weapons and began to fight and defend. The clash that ensued was loud and echoing, but it was nothing compared to the way Mercury had found himself being all but castrated and hog-tied by Raven Branwen. When he had moved in to do much worse to Yang than he had tried to during the Vytal Festival, Raven had swooped in to help her daughter earn her due. Mercury laughed and tried to knock her back with a sharp uppercut but she shifted just far enough to be out of the way. She then retaliated by punching him (rather sharply) in the groin while Yang kicked him in the head. He collapsed to the ground and, for the first time, lost his jeering amusement. He now sought to get revenge on both mother and daughter.

He kicked at Yang and tried to shoot her, but the shots he fired kept bouncing off her beloved gauntlets. Seething, he punched her in the breasts and took advantage of her being briefly winded to turn his attention to Raven. He did not, however, get the chance he was looking for and instead had to swiftly kick up to avoid her the blade of her sword. Raven then swung down and managed to hit him in his hip. Yang pounced on him a few seconds later with a series of sharp punches to his face and a well aimed shot from her gauntlets to his foot. His aura then gave in and his rage only heightened. He reached for the gun he had attached to his side and moved in as soon as he got the chance to take a few shots at Yang. All of them missed, and she retaliated in kind.

"Fuck...you!" Mercury yelled, trying to shoot Yang again but still falling short.

Raven swooped down and smacked him down, kicking the gun out of his hands. Mercury glared at her and tried, very much in vain, to tackle her. He instead felt her heels hit him in the head and he quickly fell unconscious.

"That's for what you did to my daughter."

Raven quickly dusted herself off and smiled lightly at Yang, who looked greatly amused. Their amusement was short lived, though, upon noticing Mercury's partner moving in on the Fall Maiden.

"You killed her!" Emerald shrieked, attempting to punch Glynda, who managed to dodge out of the way. "And for what? Some stupid powers you never should have had in the first place?"

"I...did what I had...to…" Glynda said, continuing to fight back the young woman and trying to avoid having to use her magic. "But it was me...or her —"

She skidded back about three feet upon Emerald slamming a pulse at her by breaking two crystals of raw gravity dust against each other. Steadying herself on her feet again, Glynda attached her crop to her boot and decided it was best to fight the young woman in a hand to hand fight. Emerald, seeing her opponent appear to surrender her weapon, dropped all of her arms to the floor and ran at her, preparing for a powerful kick. Glynda caught her foot and flipped her over but Emerald quickly threw a sharp punch that pushed the huntress back. Not underestimating the power behind the young woman's attacks or the rage that fueled them, Glynda braced herself for the onslaught.

Emerald, screaming all the while, sprinted at the Fall Maiden, who, briefly scared while the memory of her team's final mission returned, closed her eyes. Glynda crossed her arms in front of herself in protection, knowing she didn't have enough time to properly react. All of her aura was focused there and, when Emerald's fist made contact, a small glyph formed to protect the Fall Maiden further. Her aura caused a recoil so strong it shook the room. The diamond chandeliers above quavered and the lights flickered again and then all was shortly still. When Glynda lowered her arms, she saw that Emmett had moved to help protect her and that the shock from her aura had rendered Emerald unconscious on the ground.

"So," Sienna Kahn said, her voice dripping in acid as she looked at the huntress and threw aside her whip. "This is how it's going to be, is it not?"

A few of her lackeys from the White Fang that had come inside quickly pulled the unconscious Emerald Sustrai away so she would not become a casualty. Sienna then, rather haughtily despite still being injured and weakened from her tousle, started towards where Glynda, James, Emmett, and Emmeline had gathered together.

"Team...JGEE," Sienna said, elongating their team name as jewel. "Seems that I was mistaken. You're more capable than I ever saw fit to give you credit for —"

Her words were cut off by Emmeline, her mind foggy and racing, running at her again. All the general could feel in the moment was the pain of her father's murder and the lingering phantom pain from where Ashlynn had shot her years before in her shoulder. She was being crushed from the inside by an unrelenting tidal wave that would not stop until she had her retribution. Emmeline knew if she were willing to pause for even a moment that she was not thinking straight but she ignored that knowledge and let her desire for vengeance subsume her. She could all but hear the words of her sister-in-law taunting her. She could all but feel how the world had gone dark only for her to come to with her husband rushing to her side and Ashlynn being taken away by the authorities.

Terrible memories of the things she had seen while on missions were returning to her, and then she felt almost as if she were being stabbed upon her recalling how her father had laid in death. The funeral, and the burial, and the words she had spoken that day were flooding her mind. Tears of rage were forming at the edges of her eyes and, barely able to perceive anything else around her, Emmeline fired a single shot from her pistol into Sienna's side. The woman shrieked upon her aura finally breaking again and Emmeline threw the gun aside and took advantage of her opponent's weakness to tackle her. The general then pressed the dagger she had strapped to her side against the defenseless woman's throat, seething from decades of anger towards her and all she had done to her family and so many others.

"You and I both know you had absolutely no right to do what you did to all of those people that day!" Emmeline said, her breathing heavy and her voice shaking because of it. "Thousands of people are dead because of you...and my father is among them! You will die for that! I swear it here and now!"

Emmeline, without giving herself a chance to hesitate, plunged the dagger into the woman's chest. She stabbed her thrice more afterwards, far more times than was necessary, and then dropped the dagger when she stood up. Suddenly, the room was hazy and the silence that had befallen it was grim. Her head was spinning, and then everything was spinning, and then, still covered in blood, Emmeline collapsed to her knees, holding her head. Her kids, husband, sister-in-law, and Glynda and James all ran towards her, but it was her husband who reached her first. Not caring about the gore or the situation, Emmett pulled Emmeline tightly into him and let her begin to sob into his chest while he stroked her hair. No one else knew how to react. Lysithea and Samara were both in shock that their mother had assassinated the leader of the White Fang. Cristal felt ill and yet wanted to protect her sister in law, having believed that Kahn had it coming for years. Ozpin felt very much the same as his wife and merely attempted to comfort her while they all took in the situation.

James could barely believe what they had seen; he knew Emmeline had a vindictive side but he had never expected it would be so strong as to compel her to disobey a direct order from the Council against committing to an assassination. Glynda was both horrified and worried for her friend; she and Emmeline had been close for years and she had never imagined that Emmeline could be responsible for something to the caliber of what they had all witnessed. It was horrible, it dredged up painful recollections for all of them. The attacks in 2001 were at the forefront of everyone's recollections, but Glynda and James both remembered what had happened in the south Menagerie sea as well as their fight with Ashlynn. Emmett and Cristal found themselves remembering what their sister had tried to do to Emmeline while Ozpin tried not to dwell on the Fall Of Beacon. It was then, in that moment while their remaining enemies slipped into the darkness, they all made the horrible realization that, in many ways, the curtains had closed and they were all going to have to prepare for the second act and whatever it was to bring upon them.

"What a wonderful scene this is," Raven muttered to Vernal, who sighed. "I have to say, I can barely believe it."

Ozpin warily glanced to her and then to Leonardo who nodded shortly.

"You're the Spring Maiden?" He nervously asked her, and Raven scowled in reply. "The real one?"

"Yes," Raven affirmed.

Leonardo motioned her and Vernal to follow him down to Haven's vault. Another moment passed with the only sound being Emmeline's broken sobs and Emmett's gentle murmurings to her. Then, if a little suspicious, Glynda turned to Ozpin.

"I have to ask," She said, crossing her arms and only marginally relaxing upon James resting a hand on her shoulder. "The Relic of Knowledge?" She shook her head when Ozpin did not respond. "Why remove it from the vault?"

"It's not going to be safe here in Mistral much longer," Ozpin said, glancing worriedly to Cristal. "I'm afraid we must bring the lamp back with us to Atlas."

James tensed. "And store it with the staff?"

"Where else?" Ozpin paused for a moment and then shook his head. "I know Elizabeth left this morning on her private transport, but, when they return, we have to as well."

"I'll have Argus send a transport down," James said, pulling out his scroll and logging the new order. "Cordovan might not be happy about it, but she won't reject an order from a superior unless the situation was suspect."

Cristal, looking a little shaken and frail, glanced to her brother and sister-in-law before turning back to him.

"Is…" She started, her voice weak and barely audible. "With Emily…"

"We have at least three hours before the transport gets here," James told her, then moving to address them all. "Let's head back and pack everything up. Those of us going back to Atlas will be leaving in a few hours when the transport from Argus arrives."

Qrow snorted and gestured to Emmeline.

"What'cha going to do about her?" He asked, ignoring the dark look he got from the rest of them. "What? It's a valid —"

"This is a sensitive matter and it must be handled delicately," Glynda reminded him, irritated by his tactlessness. "Emmett," She said gently. "I think you and Emmeline should probably head back and maybe...clean yourselves up."

Emmett nodded, still holding Emmeline, who was shaking heavily, her uniform splattered with blood, tightly against him while they stood up.

"Shh…" He murmured, softly pressing his lips against her forehead. "It'll be okay, Emmy. The smoke has cleared, the danger is gone. You're safe now…"

Emmeline found herself struggling to speak and only quivered against him. Slowly, he helped her walk out to the car. No one spoke until they were gone.

"I…" Samara looked to Glynda, trying not to cry. "What's...is my mom —"

"She'll be okay," Glynda assured her. "But it's probably for the best if we're all gentle with her going forward."

Qrow rolled his eyes. "For those of us that don't wanna die, sure."

Cristal shocked him with her maiden powers.

"How insensitive are you?" She exclaimed. "Are you —"

"The facts are the facts," Qrow started rubbing at his neck where she had shocked him. "And, God damn it, that hurt!"

Ozpin sighed, taking in all that was around them before he spoke.

"I'm not sure what is going to happen moving forward," He admitted, his hands jammed in his pockets while he stared at his feet. "But, by the looks of it, we have quite a bit on our hands and it seems things are only going to get worse."

**Author's Note: hey, y'all, I hope all y'all liked this redux of the battle of Haven, especially since I wrote it from scratch. I'd love to hear the feelings all y'all have on it, as well as ideas for thr upcoming chapters! Lots of love, Semblance.**


	74. So Many Reasons For Fear

**_August 20th_**

**_Government Offices of the Atlesian Council_**

**_Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:34 PM_**

Emmeline Cecilia Ciel had never felt worse. She was in full dress uniform, walking numbly through the halls of the DFAMA with Emmett by her side. Even feeling his hand tightly in hers only made her feel a little better. It had been just a week since the attack at Haven. Just a week since Leonardo was officially incarcerated for his crimes while he awaited trial. Just a week since she had killed the woman who had taken her father's life amongst so many others. That simple fact was beginning to take a toll on her, and everyone around her knew it. Her daughters and son had taken special care to make sure she was okay, or wasn't exerting herself. Emmett had been nothing short of extremely worried and had focused all of his free time and energy into being by her side. It almost hurt knowing how much he loved her despite the realization that she had taken an eye for an eye. At best, Emmeline didn't know what she felt. She was numb and already struggling to be there for her son and Emmett. He had done everything right, it seemed, while she felt she had done everything wrong and she had been cursing herself since her head had first cleared for not waiting. For not letting someone else kill Kahn on her orders.

_"Shh…" Emmett had whispered the night before, holding his trembling wife against him. "It's going to be okay, Emmy. You're okay…"_

_She had been weak ever since the confrontation and her aura had suffered because of it. Her hands had been shaky ever since, too, and almost everything had become an emotional or motivational struggle. That was why, ever so gently, Emmett began to massage the shampoo and conditioner into her long monochrome locks before helping her rinse it out. He held her close, but was light and gentle in everything he did._

_"I'm…" Emmeline had said softly. "I'm a monster…"_

_Emmett had looked at her in shock. "No," He murmured. "You're not."_

_"The damn spot —" She had weakly protested, quoting the famous Shakespearean tragedy._

_"Emmy," Emmett had said, cupping her cheek. "You did something awful but you were in a state of severe PTSD that whole night. I'm not saying it makes what you did right, but I'm promising you that it doesn't make you evil, or a monster, or whatever the hell you want to call it."_

_She had blinked back tears and all but clung to him, her knees threatening to give out._

_"I know who I married and still do," He had whispered, dropping his hand and lightly kissing her cheek. "And you know something else?"_

_Emmeline had sighed weakly. "Emmett…"_

_"The two girls downstairs? The little boy sleeping down the hall?" Emmett had gently reminded her before gently reaching down and brushing his hand over her abdomen. "They're half you, and they're wonderful. A bit mischievous, but still. All three of them grew inside you, and you and I are the reason they're here. Nothing that good could be born out of a monster."_

Her mind still racing with Emmett's words from the night before, Emmeline almost tripped in front of the double doors to Elizabeth's office. She caught herself, brushed herself off, and tried to calm herself but it was no use. Emmett was watching her, his brow furrowed in concern, and he quickly reached out to catch her in case she tripped again. Feeling helpless and hating herself for the feeling, Emmeline blinked back the tears that were threatening the corners of her eyes. She had absolutely no idea what to do, not to mention how to feel about what she was almost certain was about to happen. At best, she imagined, she would be put on an indefinite probation and, at worst, put under court martial. After decades of a desire for revenge, after decades of military service, she was unfulfilled and on the brink of having her career amount to nothing. A part of her couldn't believe how gentle and supportive Emmett had been the entire time. She knew he was angry about what she had done and, yet, he was still here, trying to steady her in his arms. Their daughters, though, were much more conflicted. Samara was pissed and hadn't spoken to her mother since they had returned and Lysithea had both praised how diabolical she thought her mother was while also expressing doubt she could justify it. Nothing was right anymore and the world had turned upside down just when they had needed —

"I'll be right here when you get out of the meeting," Emmett promised, reaching into his bag and pulling out a book. "I've got nowhere to be, and my wife comes before being a professor...and, hey, at least I don't have to lecture until this evening."

Emmeline smiled weakly. "Thanks, Emmett."

He pulled her into his arms once more and softly kissed her, wanting the moment to last. Emmett wanted nothing more than to hold her, or kiss her, or make love to her until she was okay but he knew better. Instead, he only held her loosely and hoped there was something he could do to help her stop shaking. Softly kissing her forehead, Emmett tried to soothe her even though he knew little had been a comfort to her in the last week. He had never imagined how vindictive his wife could be but he also knew he would have done the exact same thing to Ashlynn if she had been there, nevermind that Glynda had already taken up the mantle of the Fall Maiden. He had told that to her, he had told that to their daughters, and he had lied to their son over and over to protect him. Eddie was too damn young to know the truth. He had decided that the line needed to be drawn there and no further. Eddie was only eight, after all, and both Emmett and Emmeline had their childhoods cut short by tragedy and their son was still a child. No matter what happened, he wasn't ready. It was all too soon. Sighing heavily, Emmett let her go and step into Elizabeth's office. She hesitated in the doorway but then forced herself to appear as imperious as possible despite the situation and the stares she was receiving.

"Please, take a seat, General Ciel."

Across the table from her, Emmeline saw Elizabeth who, though having spoken as clipped as ever, seemed rather discomposed. Also present were Blake Adel, the head of the Department of Justice, and Tara Sparks, the head of the Department of Local and National Law Enforcement.

"Ordinarily, the head of the DFAMA and a close military colleague of yours would be present as well," Elizabeth went on. "However, both Karissa Mar and James Ironwood have recused themselves from this matter. Madame Mar filed for recusal because she's your sister in law and General Ironwood did so because he was a witness. Now...Director Adel?"

Blake nodded shortly. "General Ciel," He began, pausing for a moment to clear his throat. "You assassinated Sienna Kahn on the fourteenth of August, year two-thousand and twenty-two at approximately two thirty six in the morning. This was after being directly ordered not to and being denied the capacity to order such an assassination. Do you contest any of this?"

Emmeline weakly shook her head and tightly clasped her hands together to stop them from shaking.

"I…" She forced out. "I've spent decades in military service, doing whatever it takes to keep our kingdom and its people safe...and to court martial me —"

"General Ciel, please," Tara Sparks said calmly. "The security council is not putting you under court martial, nor are we discharging you from service. We are here today to ensure the report we received is correct and to discuss your mental state. You have been diagnosed with PTSD before, although the non-confidential records we were able to recieve from your therapist suggest you were recovering. That seems, based on these events, to require reconsideration and, possibly, a re-diagnosis."

Elizabeth allowed for a brief pause but she quickly turned back to Emmeline.

"Do you have anything to add that is not already known and/or recorded regarding these events?"

Emmeline shook her head. "No."

"Well, then," Elizabeth sighed heavily for a moment. "General Ciel, unless this counsel defers, I am ordering you to be removed from combat for the next six months, during which time you will have a chance to commence recovery. We will address your abilities for combat after that period."

"Of course," Emmeline shakily replied.

"We will not forget all you have done and sacrificed, General Ciel," Blake Adel said cordially. "Again, thank you for your service and, please, feel better."

* * *

**_August 23rd_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:22 AM_**

"So, I gotta wonder…"

Roman Torchwick grinned devilishly at his new teammates, if that was what they had become, causing his, albeit functionally mute wife, to stab him in the foot with the pointy end of her sheathed umbrella-sword. He scowled and rubbed his foot but didn't yell at her the way he would have if Gina Adel or Monster also known as "who-fucking-cares" had tried the same damn thing. More to the point, he was waiting for Neo to get aggravated enough to do something — anything — disgusting to Monster that would put the dumbass in his place. Roman was more than secure in his position (even though it had come from Karissa Mar of all people) as the leader of Team RNMG, or rouge, as he referred to them. After all, he was a criminal mastermind with a record other crime lords envied.

Even more than that, he was in the position he had always wanted. Over twenty years prior in their academy days, he had been almost irrelevant while James was the team leader, Glynda was formidable at best (although he had always thought she was often terrifying), and Emmett was the pretty boy with a sword. Roman was more than grateful to have met his wife; the mere memory of having dated Emmett Schnee of all people absolutely disgusted him, especially knowing the things he was sure Emmett had since done with Emmeline Ciel. The youngest of Nicholas Schnee's kids certainly struggled to keep his dick in his pants when it came to Ciel: of that, Roman was most certain. Shuddering at the thought, he looked back to his lackeys (excepting his only equal, Neo) and winked.

"But, seriously," Roman went on, scowling at then. "How the fuck do mermaids have babies?"

Marshall began laughing, not even trying to think of a come back or sleazy joke. He was so out of focus that he barely realized until it was far too late that he had slammed into a woman examining a necklace at a jeweller's market stand.

"Sorry, dahlin'," He said, reaching down to help her up.

The woman quickly pulled her hood down over her face, presumably embarrassed.

"I'm fine on my own, thank you very much," She snapped, not meeting his gaze while she stood up and brushed off her now-dusty hooded cape. "I don't need help from a lowlife like you."

Marshall smirked and gestured grandly to Roman, Neo, and Gina.

"Everyone in this town's a lowlife," He countered, smirking even more. "Looks like you are too, or were ya not eyeing that supposedly cursed necklace?"

Refusing to dignify him with a response, the woman huffed and turned back to the jeweller, speaking rapidly with them in one of Vacuo's many traditional dialects.

"I want a cursed necklace," Gina muttered to Neo, who rolled her eyes. "Don't sass me, mute. I could use it to —"

"Raise yourself above your shitty family?" Roman suggested. "Or, maybe your mysterious powers —"

"I'd get a real kick out of using them to do away with you," Gina snapped, activating her hidden powers in sheer anger. She felt no fear; after all, the merchant and the older woman couldn't possibly know what they meant. Not if Roman and Neo couldn't figure it out. "You irritate me to no end! Are you trying to —"

"You want me to get you arrested?" Roman winked while Neo smacked Marshall a few times with her umbrella. He had apparently been chewing on her nerves too. "I'll do that to you and Monster, actually."

"Oh, go to hell!" Gina snapped, fluttering her hands in front of her eyes while she deactivated her powers as the reclusive, violent Summer Maiden. "Or shall I send you there myself?"

Roman and the others chortled but what Gina should have realized was that the violet-eyed woman in the hooded cape was Rosalinde Diana Varna who, if she had seen what she believed she had, was suddenly desiring a way to cement her power even further.

* * *

**_August 29th_**

**_City of Lowell_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:45 PM_**

It was chilly in the apartment, with the wind blowing through the threadbare fabric that hung over the windows. Yet it had to do, for the time being, considering that both of the men squatting in it were enemies of the state. The second the Atlesian Council realized they were there would be the same second from which all hell would rain down. No, despite the loathsome situation in the city of Lowell, right on the edge of the upper east coast of the kingdom of Atlas, it had to be accepted. If it weren't, both men could sign the warrants for their lives in prison. The only small consolation was that the previous owners had clearly left in a hurry, hence all of the furniture and even a decent amount of food still in the run-down apartment. Coupled with the technical skills of the notorious Arthur Watts, the TV worked too. Adam Taurus held the man in contempt, but even he had to applaud his accomplice for giving them access to the Atlesian news and even pay-per-view, through which he had already watched many raunchy films to the abject disgust of his accomplice.

"Boy!" Arthur Watts called from the other room. "This is important! You ought to come see it!"

Adam angrily stormed into the room, something which was only compounded by the breaking news headline on Atlas' very own MSNBC. He exhaled heavily, causing Watts to shoot him an irritated look, but he set that aside for the moment to listen to the news broadcast.

"Jacques Gelè-Schnee was officially cleared of all charges by the jury this afternoon during his sentencing. This has caused quite a bit of embarrassment already on the part of the cases' lead prosecutor, Kiara Davis, especially considering that Madame Davis is the head of the Department of Civil, Criminal, and Corporate Prosecution. While he has recently lost custody of his son in the divorce from his wife, Willow Schnee, it seems that Jacques is about to become, once again, a free man and the leader of the world's largest energy corporation."

Adam turned to Watts in a frenzy.

"You know him!" Adam roared. "Do something!"

"In case you couldn't tell, I can't at the moment," Watts nastily replied. "And I lack a reason to anyways. He can't give me anything without raising suspicion and that would be the end of me, especially if the Ciels or James Ironwood found out about it."

Adam reached for his weapons but thought better of killing Watts for being cheeky. Instead, he settled for grabbing a grinding stone and sharpening his sword.

"I have to say," Watts went on, paying little regard to anything around him. "Your temper is quite interesting. I'd enjoy...dissecting your brain for research purposes."

Adam looked up in annoyance. "And I would like to kill a number of people in a variety of ways, but I don't have that option, do I?"

Watts raised an eyebrow. "Does that include the baby Ironwood claimed you had with his daughter?"

Adam pursed his lips. "Yes...or, at the very least, smack some sense into my ex. Ivy was a number of things, not to mention great at sex, but she betrayed me at Beacon. Besides, using her was a great way to stick it to the Schnees. Even their closest friends weren't made of steel...and the idea of me having any connection to them, let alone indirectly, is amusing. An excellent form of revenge, actually, for what the SDC did to me and millions of other faunus around the…"

"If you hate them so much, keep tabs on them," Watts suggested, gesturing to the TV. "Instead of pestering me with your folksy tales about the wrongs everyone has —"

"Shut up!" Adam shouted upon seeing the live broadcast overtake the screen.

"This has been quite a disturbing production that has been, more than clearly, for the sole purpose of defamation," Jacques paused but then went on, looking perfectly composed. "I have always expected more from our leaders. We must hold ourselves to a higher standard than the rest, and we must remove anyone who has become lustful for power. This is why, despite only having my name officially cleared today, I am making a bid for a position in the Atlesian Commons. I know my opponent — Robyn Hill — is well-liked but I intend to remove personality from the political game and, instead, move to bring Atlas back to where we are meant to be. I will be the one to restore what we have all lost...most especially since the Ciel family reclaimed power."

A moment passed between the accomplices in uncanny silence. Then, having had enough of hearing Adam's almost violent breathing, Watts smirked.

"This does raise...interesting prospects," He noted mildly, ignoring Adam's increasingly angered gaze. "Actually…"

"How dumb are you?" Adam snapped. "Are you going to do something? For fuck's sake, what does this even mean for —"

Watts snorted. "I believe, boy," He said, rolling his eyes while Adam continued sharpening his blade. "That a visit to the capital may very well be in order."


	75. Oh, Catastrophe

**_September 3rd_**

**_Atlas Academy_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:34 PM_**

"Aunt Emmeline did...she did what?"

In an instant, Winter Schnee lost all of her masks and could only stare at her sister in sheer horror. Beside her, Qrow nodded grimly and took her hand. Rarely, she didn't protest. Instead, she squeezed his hand tightly, struggling to process her sister's words. She had been stunned quite a bit in the last several weeks — between her father being let off, his declaration of candidacy, and her sudden promotion by Elizabeth Morell — but this was even worse. She had never imagined her aunt — whom she had admired and respected for so long — could not only, by the sound of it, disobey direct orders let alone personally carry out an assassination. It was absolutely horrible. Winter had known that her aunt had been through a dangerous bout with PTSD when she had returned, that much was obvious if only by how weak her aunt seemed to have become, but the severity hadn't been so clear. Knowing that it could have cost Emmeline everything made it worse. Since everyone had returned from Mistral, neither Emmeline nor Emmett had been seen much although Emmett had returned to work. Winter knew she had seen him the most of anyone beyond his immediate family (though she was certain the general and Glynda saw them regularly still) and it had made sense. Suddenly, however, it seemed to cast a dark shadow on the future.

"I…" Weiss sighed heavily, twisting her ponytail anxiously in her hands. "I still can't believe it."

"I was there too, believe me, I know," Qrow glanced to Winter, who was still silent. "You okay, Win?"

She shook her head. "No."

A heavy silence befell them and, after a time, it was clear neither Schnee would break it.

"Eliza was furious," Qrow noted. "I know Emily got pulled from combat and is taking a sabatacle to try and recover but I think she was lucky Adel and Sparks were involved too. Eliza didn't say it...but I think there was a moment there when she wanted to court martial Emily."

Winter tensed at the thought. "No," She said with finality. "That would be a disgrace to all of her decades service."

"I thought General Ironwood was the one that swayed Morell," Weiss sent Qrow a strange look. "Why would Director Adel or Madame Sparks —"

"I probably shouldn't tell you this...but…" Qrow shrugged despite the pointed look Winter sent him. "Look," He said. "It was a full hearing on the matter, not something where James could levy in to help your aunt out. Hell, he removed himself from the matter because he was a witness. To my surprise, Karissa Mar did too, if for slightly different reasons."

"I don't imagine they had much of a choice," Winter hesitated for a moment but then lightly rested her head on his shoulder. "I'm sorry... I just don't know how to take this."

"None of us do," Qrow reaches for his flask and took a small sip before setting it aside. "I still can't believe we're sittin' in a stairwell at fuckin' Atlas Academy, talking about how Emmeline Ciel finally snapped."

Weiss glared. "That's unnecessarily cruel."

"I'm not wrong," Qrow countered. "You know what you saw. We all do. Even…"

He trailed off but then quickly turned to Winter, completely shell-shocked.

"How come James didn't tell you about this?" He pressed. "Since he told ya about the maidens and shit, I would have expected —"

"It is...a family matter," She said weakly. "He probably didn't know how to, or —"

Winter stopped short upon seeing her uncle down the hall. A split second later, Emmett noticed them too.

"Qrow," Emmett said as soon as he reached them. "I warned you about what will happen if you break my niece's heart, right?"

Winter buried her face in her hands, completely mortified.

"You warned me of my peril," Qrow replied, laughing dryly and reassuringly rubbing Winter's back. "Don't worry, Schnee, I won't mess with you or your family."

Emmett paled for a moment, the little he could, and ran one hand through his long white hair and reached up to fidget with his glasses with the other.

"Right," He said nervously. "So…"

"Mess with my father," Weiss all but pleaded, if half-jokingly. "Especially now that he's trying to get a seat on the Council."

Qrow smirked. "I'll see what I can do."

"Winter did an excellent job of messing with Jacques at thirteen," Emmett remarked, and Winter looked up at him in surprise. "When you stole his car?" Emmett reminded her. "Scared me half to death when I had to bail you out."

Qrow burst out into almost hysterical laughter despite himself.

"It was not funny!" Winter protested. "Those...delinquents could have killed me!"

"No one dies in juvie," Emmett countered. "I will also remind you, as I did at the time, that most of them probably hadn't committed a felony like you had by going out and deciding grand theft auto was the best way to get away from and stick it to your dad."

Weiss looked at her sister in awe. "You are so cool, Winter."

"You were a baby at the time…" She muttered. "I hoped you'd never hear that story."

Qrow chortled. "Sorry, Win, but I think that ship has long since left the harbor."

"Speaking of naval references, since we are in the naval academy," Emmett slyly put in, grinning. "You know the goat statue at the entrance that's just beyond security and meant to mark how strong we are? While James, Glynda, and I were going here, he climbed onto that statue and 'rode' the goat. He also had us lock him in the foot locker so he could take a nap instead of spend three hours in the raising of the colors."

Winter raised an eyebrow. "That's a joke, right?"

Emmett winked. "Tell James you can thank me for telling you."

He sighed heavily and stared off into space for a few seconds. Then, he began out towards his car and, and, the moment he was out of earshot, Qrow spoke.

"I don't think I'm ever gonna understand Emmett Schnee," He remarked while Weiss and Winter shared a knowing look. "But, either way, I can't wait to bother James with those stories."

"Heaven forbid," Winter sharply told him. "I'm not going to let you do something that stupid."

"Don't worry," Qrow nonchalantly replied, kissing her cheek. "I ain't stupid, just resourceful."

* * *

**_September 6th_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas _**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:24 AM_**

"Ella," Ronnie Ciel tucked a stray lock of his wife's hair behind her ear before chastely kissing her forehead. "I promise this time things will go well."

She sighed. "I suppose it's just been difficult...dealing with the press, that is, since my father was officially incarcerated."

"Is that no less than he deserves?" Ronnie said gently. "We extradited ourselves from the matter entirely. He himself pled guilty, and he accepted his fate. The only reason we're detaining him in Atlas is because he came to this kingdom seeking to give information for a lighter sentence and he did. Ella, if you're feeling guilty, please don't blame yourself. After all he did, does he deserve sympathy?"

"Ronnie —" She started tiredly.

"I know," He paused upon Karissa stepping into the hallway. "Are you ready?"

Karissa raised an eyebrow and adjusted her glasses nervously.

"As ready as I'll ever be, I suppose," She replied, then sending her sister-in-law a sympathetic look. "I'm sorry about what happened, Rosella."

She said nothing and merely nodded. Ronnie took her hand briefly but then, along with Karissa, was motioned out into the press room. The anticipation was awful, even though she already knew what they were about to say. Although he rarely warned her before any major announcement, especially about a classified matter, Ronnie had informed her a few hours after he was told himself by Elizabeth of Sienna Kahn's demise at the hands of Atlesian military personnel in Mistral. It was odd, he had told her, because even he was still uninformed as to who or even what squadron had killed the high leader of the White Fang. She could barely believe it herself. Unless mandated by the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, presidential briefings presented all relevant information. This was an unusual move by Elizabeth, they both agreed, and what was even more unusual was that Karissa and Emmeline seemed evasive on the subject at best. Rosella was certain they knew more than Ronnie, and, if she wanted to pry, she was certain James knew too. To Rosella, that meant Kahn's assassination was likely carried out by the Ace-Ops. She had remained silent, hoping the answer would reveal itself, but she was growing impatient. The matter seemed too important, and far too convoluted.

"Rosella."

She turned around suddenly and stiffened upon seeing Robyn Hill. The leader of the so-called Happy Huntresses was not someone Rosella had much fondness for, if only because of the woman's tendency to rationalize everything and yet doubt the kingdom's leaders. The two women had shared terse words on more than one occasion about Robyn's constant attempts to skirt the law or — worse — actively break it. Rosella didn't believe the woman meant badly, but she did believe she was sorely misguided. While she did personally acknowledge that she would much prefer Robyn to win the only open seat in the greater Mantle-Southern capital district than Jacques, she wasn't thrilled with the notion either. What mystified her more was how Robyn had been granted access into the presidential manor. It wasn't as if she had security clearance, let alone much of a reason. Ronnie would never publicly support anyone running for office, either. He had always kept his beliefs close to his chest and taken heed of the experts in each department rather than pretending he knew more than he did. It unsettled her, Robyn's easy presence, and —

"I hope that press conference will be over soon," Robyn remarked, frowning when she looked at the time on her scroll. "Damn it. Karissa Mar really is taking her sweet time before she has to finally have the meeting with me. Apparently, Morell convinced her though I can't imagine why. It's not as if they like me."

Rosella held her tongue and instead silently crossed her arms.

"I heard about what happened," Robyn eventually said. "With your father, I mean."

Rosella quirked an eyebrow. "I suspect just about everyone has. Why does it matter to you?"

"It doesn't," She admitted. "But I find it interesting, especially considering that your husband didn't pardon him."

Rosella scowled. "That would have been unethical on the face of it."

Robyn shrugged. "Fair. Except, Ronnie hasn't ever pardoned anyone, has he? Barely makes a sound beyond listening to the damn department heads and legislative committees. Then again, I shouldn't be surprised. He has no morals."

Rosella tensed. "If that were true, I'd just as well think he'd have abused power by now."

"That's not what I meant," Robyn countered irritably. "I meant he stands for absolutely nothing, just like his father before him. He's not really a FreeAtlas member, either. We just needed him to beat fucking —"

"And he did," Rosella tersely replied. "We've been better off since then, too."

"Doesn't mean I like him," Robyn sighed. "I'm sorry, but how is it you married him? Isn't that a betrayal of ideas?"

"A betrayal of ideas?" Rosella tersely repeated. "Might that be your own misgivings?"

Robyn bit her lip upon Rosella angrily flicking her tail out.

"You misunderstand," Robyn began. "This has nothing to do with being a faunus, it has to with being human —"

"Then it does," Rosella replied, her eyes flaring. "You are just like everyone else, no matter how accepting you act or —"

"It is not," She snapped. "Anything else you want to misconstrue?"

"Just one more thing," Rosella said, scowling at Robyn. "It's on, bitch."

* * *

**_September 8th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:28 PM_**

"To think that my own…"

Cristal Schnee stared down at her hands, fidgeting with both her glasses and her wedding ring. Ozpin wrapped an arm tightly around her, knowing the sensitivity of the matter. Glynda nervously sipped on her wine, while James hadn't stopped pacing for the last half hour. They were in his home office, the doors shut, and, about an hour before, had told Jake that, no, he could not eavesdrop on them and to find something else to do. What they had forgotten was that Caitlin was home for the next several weeks while her apartment building underwent renovations and the nearly twenty one year old political scientist had more than a few tricks up her sleeve. Her bedroom was right above her father's study, and she used that and the heating grate to her advantage. She had always had fine-tuned senses, and her hearing was excellent; hence her smirk as she taught her teenage brother how to eavesdrop. Eating popcorn all the while, as it happened. Jake could barely restrain himself from laughing. For all her faults, he couldn't deny his favorite sister's stealth and practicality in (most) situations. It even felt, just for a moment, like they were kids again and she was hyper and trying to show him how to do things for himself. That sense of amusement seemed to be left unbroken, and Jake Ironwood was more than happy for it.

"This is brilliant," He said, shoving a handful of popcorn into his mouth. "Although I still can't quite hear."

Caitlin scowled and narrowly adjusted her glasses. "Jake," She started slowly. "That might have something to do with how damn loud you're chewing."

"I'm a teenage boy," He replied, still chewing on his overly buttered popcorn. "And, damn, for popcorn that expired six years ago, this is really good."

Caitlin snatched up a handful herself and then nodded.

"Just don't think about it too much," She said, waving her hand dismissively. "Now, shush. I'm trying to listen."

Jake stuck his popcorn-covered tongue out at her childishly. "Bossy."

She glared at him for a minute but said nothing, trying to find her focus.

"...It's not a good situation for anyone, I agree," James said. "...The situation is fraught and, honestly, has been hard on everyone. Glyns and I still see Emmett and Emmeline like before, but she's lost so much. Her aura...it's almost as if this has depleted it."

"...I simply don't know what possessed her," Ozpin said. "...Emmeline had every right to despise the woman but going so far as killing her…"

"...It wasn't pretty, I'll give you that," Glynda put in. "...But I don't think this was unwarranted. It wasn't good, but I understand why Emily reacted the way she did."

"...Emmett should have stopped her," Ozpin countered. "...She's had terrible spells before, and he has the unparalleled ability to soothe her —"

"...There was never enough reaction time," James said heavily. "...Neither of them are to blame. It was in the heat of a strenuous fight, visibility was awful, and she was clearly getting sick from the heat and the pressure of the situation. To be honest, I think all of us were."

"...I...I…" Cristal said softly. "...I don't know what to say."

"...You don't have to," Glynda said gently. "...I think all of us are still recovering from what happened that night."

Jake threw a fistful of popcorn at his sister in an attempt to lighten the mood. She scowled and pulled a few pieces out of her hair before throwing them back at him. He started laughing and, despite the disgusted look she gave him, ate them right off the floor.

"You really do eat everything in sight," Caitlin remarked with a smirk. "I don't think you've ever turned down a snack."

Jake grinned like a maniac. "I'm a teenage boy. Besides, I'm taller than you."

"Everyone is!" She protested. "That's not fair!"

"If my personal habits are fair game, then so is your height," Jake sassed. "And, hey, at least you're taller than Ivy."

Caitlin sighed. "Yeah, that's true."

Jake dropped his humorous tone. "Are you two still fighting?"

"We're...at an impasse," She said, rubbing her neck. "I wouldn't say we're going at it, but I wouldn't say we've reconciled either."

Jake rolled his eyes. "You two are so stubborn. It's dumb."

"I'm not angry with or about my niece," Caitlin said hotly. "I'm angry with Ivy for being shortsighted, for being gullible, for being —"

"Like you?" Jake suggested. He then paused, knowing how sensitive a subject he had tread on. Subjects, too, that were almost never acknowledged.

"I...I suppose," She eventually admitted. "But is that wrong? After what I went through, is fear of it wrong? Ivy's my twin sister, and I thought I was always the one who made the worst mistakes in our family. The kind that end in selfishness, in affairs, and, in one instance, my life being endangered. I don't think any of that's irrational."

Jake chewed on the inside of his cheek in deep thought.

"I get that," He agreed. "But I don't think Ivy's life was in danger. She had a relationship with someone dangerous, but —"

"It was bound to happen," She harshly countered. "Hell, how she had any sympathy, any mercy for a person like him —"

"She had that because she's not you," Jake replied, crossing his arms. "You hold a grudge against so many people, you have so much anger —"

"People like him have tried to kill our father!" Caitlin snapped. "People like him have no sense of —"

"Cate," Jake said, irritatingly calm. "You know you sound like Emmeline, don't you?"

She fell silent and stared at her hands numbly.

"I just want to have an even score," She said softly. "Justice, too."

Jake shook his head. "I hate saying this, but no. You want vengeance, not justice, and that's a dangerous line to tread. Just look at what happened to Emmeline."


	76. The Hallmarks of Disaster

**_September 10th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo _**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:36 PM_**

For not the first time, Rosalinde Varna tossed her head back and laughed, relaxing into her plush desk chair with a smirk. Laying open before her was her most secret and potent tome. Within it was her solution to her age standing between her and the powers of the Summer Maiden. While she had tapped Gina Adel and her little friends since their arrival in Vacuo, she hadn't imagined that the estranged daughter of such an important Atlesian political figure would be the Summer Maiden. It would have been too obvious, she had decided, for three of the maidens to be Atlesian but it was becoming more and more apparent that Ozpin remained unaware as to the Summer Maiden's identity. Now she knew who it was she sought, she was preparing to handle the situation. Remedy it, she told herself. After all, remedy was a lighter word for what Varna was planning than her true meaning, which was murder. She was unashamed of the fact, and it was not her first time either. Varna had spent decades clawing her way up to the top of Vacuoian politics. She had poisoned a few drinks, stabbed a few friends, and slit a few lovers open to reach the top and now she was the queen. Her people adored her, she had power for life, and now she had the powers of a maiden just below her finger tips.

The spell to age her physical body backwards thirty years to when she was in her twenties called for a rather revolting potion, but she lacked none of the ingredients. She had been waiting for years. She had the blood of her womb, the fingernails of ten lovers, and the hair of the one she hated most. Her plans for this spell had long preceded her lust for the powers of the Summer Maiden; she had begun gathering the ingredients just after she had killed her predecessor. It had not been hard to save, in a small jar, the blood she had captured from her monthly cycles, nor had it been hard to lure lovers and steal a fingernail from them as a trophy of the dalliance. It was the last ingredient that had posed the greatest challenge. It had been nothing short of hell to get her hands on, but she had cut off part of Cristal Schnee's hair while the woman had been asleep with Ozpin during the damn Vytal Festival. Now, Varna's hands lingered on the long lock of deep brown hair she had stolen from the woman. Cristal would never know she had it; she had used her powers as a sorceress to regenerate the prosecutor's hair so she could not notice. It was perfect, it was convenient, and it was why Varna could almost taste the Summer Maiden's powers. Yet she was paused and slammed the lock into the small bowl when she realized why she despised the Winter Maiden so.

She still wanted Ozpin.

Every bone in her body ached to feel him in the most sensual ways imaginable. She wanted to prove to him that he always could have done better, only to leave him alone after she had ruined everything he had in retribution for not choosing her in the first place. It was petty, she knew, but she could not set the fantasy aside. She had spent decades practicing perfect manipulation on countless men and he was the only one not ensnared in her grasp. It enraged her when she considered it. She wanted power most of all and would not be strayed from the path but she also wanted to ruin Ozpin. He couldn't win, after all. She was still jaded by the realization but she would not risk her life anymore to see if he were right. She was more than content to be Vacuo's queen and to do as she wished. Salem would not bother her, after all, so long as she did not oppose her. It was the best opportunity she ever had, and Varna refused to squander it. She did not doubt that the Queen herself would be angry with her if she ripped off all of her silks and pinned Ozpin down to show him herself in the most carnal sense but she knew it was a transgression that could be forgiven if it became an issue. The trouble was, Varna knew it never would. He would never tear apart his life and it was more than clear how much he loved his wife. It now lay on her to get revenge, and to be the enemy of their enemy. A kink in their plans if another ever appeared to be moot.

Slowly, the sorceress channeled her inborn magic to activate the powers of what she had stolen from others and herself to begin the ritual. It would not take long and the effects would be immediate, but she would have to develop an explanation for her people. That, she decided, would come with time. Her aura began to ripple over her body and she deftly removed the covering from the jar of her blood. Then, she began to pour it over the fingernails and the Winter Maiden's hair. The potion she was creating began to emit a golden smoke, just as her tome suggested it would. A smirk gracing her face, Varna continued until it became a single, bronze liquid. Her magic still radiating from her fingers, she began the incantation and lit the candles upon her desk in the proper succession, allowing them to let a single drop of wax fall one by one into the bronze liquid. When the ritual was complete, she summoned a complete darkness and raised the potion to her lips. Then, without hesitation, she drank all of it in a matter of seconds. Soon, there was energy abuzz in her veins and she felt her entire body growing hot and then suddenly freezing. A moment passed in trepidation but, when she was sure the magic had flooded her veins, she unveiled the room and restored the light.

It was when she turned to the mirror and saw a very young woman looking back that she knew she had succeeded and her violet eyes seemed almost ablaze.

* * *

**_September 10th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:57 PM_**

_"Jake!" Four-year-old Caitlin Ironwood had shrieked upon her baby brother head-butting her in the back of her knees, causing her to fall over. "Don't do that! That's mean!"_

_The eight-month-old baby giggled, not understanding why his sister was being so loud._

_"Boop!" Four-year-old Ivy Ironwood jumped on the floor near her brother and tapped his nose. "Say it! Boop!"_

_"Boov?" He repeated, looking completely confused._

_Ivy pouted. "Boooooop!"_

_Her baby brother merely looked at her and laughed, crawling towards her and trying to grab at her face._

_"Ivy, look!" Caitlin excitedly exclaimed, bouncing up and trying to reach something on the counter. "Mommy left these!"_

_Ivy seemed confused for a moment but then climbed up onto one of the chairs to reach the counter. It was then she realized her sister had been talking about the almost full bottles of strawberry and chocolate syrup._

_"Ooo…" Ivy began, grabbing them and dropping them to the floor before climbing down herself. "Fun! Get the milk!"_

_Caitlin glared and pointed at the fridge. "I can't!"_

_"Climb," Ivy suggested, grinning while their baby brother crawled over to them and the syrup bottles. "Look at these!" She told him with a mad smile. "They're sweet!"_

_Ivy spent about a minute trying to pull open the top of the bottles. In that time, her sister had (with much effort) tugged the refrigerator door open and began to climb the shelves to reach the milk jug. She dropped it, yelling at her sister that it was heavy, but it was plastic and rebounded on the floor. Ivy quickly became distracted by dragging over the jug while her sister closed the fridge. While his sisters were preoccupied, Jake became curious. He poked at the syrup bottles and pushed his tiny hands against them with just enough force for the liquid inside to ooze out. Finding this amusing, the eight month old tipped them over (unfortunately aimed towards the carpet) and began to smack his little fists against them, watching the liquid squirt in all directions. By the time his sister's noticed, it was too late and he had managed to smack out at least half of both bottles. A few seconds later, Glynda stepped into the room only to find her eight-month-old son rolling around in syrup, her younger daughter dragging a jug of milk across the floor, and her eldest sitting against the fridge and sucking on her index finger. She was stunned for a few seconds but then quickly scooped up the syrup bottles and ran into the laundry room to grab a towel to wrap her son up in before she carried him upstairs for a bath, motioning the girls to follow her._

_"What on earth happened in there?" She asked them, gently scrubbing the syrup off of Jake with a warm, wet towel. "Did the two of you get in a fight?"_

_Ivy shook her head. "I was hungry!"_

_"You made me climb the fridge!" Caitlin angrily protested._

_Glynda paused for a moment and stared at both of them in horror._

_"Ivy," She finally said. "Don't scare your sister into doing dangerous things."_

_Ivy nodded but elbowed her sister pointedly._

_"And, Caity, please don't do dangerous things because your sister tells you to," She went on tiredly. "Actually, apply that to everyone."_

_"Glynda?" James nervously called from downstairs, evidently having just gotten home. "Is everything alright because the kitchen —"_

_"I know!" She called back. "I'm handling it!"_

_He could be heard running quickly up the stairs. Soon enough, he was standing in the doorway to their bathroom. The girls both turned towards him and Ivy waved while Caitlin ran at him to give him a hug. He laughed and ruffled her hair before setting her down and sitting down on the edge of the bathtub beside his wife._

_"They really are special, aren't they?" He murmured, affectionately kissing her cheek. "Have you been holding up alright?"_

_She sighed. "Better since you returned from the deployment."_

_"Daddy's staying," Caitlin said, crossing her little arms with a defiant spark in her eyes._

_"Yes," James agreed. "Daddy's staying."_

_"How long?" Glynda asked softly, cradling their son in one arm and brushing her hand over his metal shoulder with the other._

_"The rest of the year," He replied. "So almost seven months."_

_She smiled. "Okay."_

_"Caity!" Ivy shrieked. "You're no fun!"_

_Caitlin triumphantly held the bar of soap over her sister's head, an easy feat considering she had climbed onto the step stool._

_"You tried to eat it!" Caitlin irritably said. "It's not food!"_

_James chuckled and took the soap from her hands before taking them both downstairs. Tired and exasperated as she was, Glynda soon followed. The least she was hoping for was that the stains would come out of the carpet. It was only syrup. How much harm could it possibly do?_

_Funnily enough, even after several cleanings, the stains never faded away, and merely suggested that the kids were adorable little wild ones._

_It was a pity that life couldn't stay so simple._

* * *

**_September 11th_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:13 PM_**

Ex-Dr. Arthur Watts smirked, walking up to the side entrance into the Schnee manor. He knew this was the only point of entry from which he would not be spotted. He had peeked at the front of the manor and at its expansive drive, only to find an eighteen wheeler, a Mercedes-Benz, and a pick up truck along with Emmett Schnee. Watts snorted at the thought, more than certain that the professor's presence meant his sister and nephew were about to leave too. For Watts' purpose, this was an advantage. He did not want to risk a confrontation with a member of Team JGEE, especially knowing how well-connected they all were. Of all of them, he hated James the most for being involved, if even by accident, in his career's damnation in the early 2000s. However, he did not fear James in the way he feared Emmeline. That was especially true given the news he and that Taurus boy had received that morning from that green-haired girl. The message she had sent them had been brief, but it was informative. Though it was unreported and hushed up, the recently publicized assassination of Sienna Kahn had been carried out by Emmeline Ciel herself, and for personal reasons. Nothing terrified Watts more than justified rage, and, now he knew Ciel was possessed by it, he did not want to risk her doing the same or potentially worse to him.

"You!"

Watts snapped his fingers at the small, white-haired boy standing in the hallway. The boy jumped back, startled. He said nothing, and Watts knew the kid was afraid. He looked only about thirteen, and he was lanky. Imperiously, Watts began to make his demands, knowing the boy would be too scared to refuse them. He asked for his name, though he truly didn't care, and then asked where Jacques was. The boy did not respond for a long few seconds and lied. Watts found himself growing angry and made the demand a second time, hoping to scare him into submission. The boy swallowed hard and then motioned for him to follow. While they walked, the boy kept his hands clasped behind his back but his fingers fidgeted anxiously. Through the manor, they passed the dining hall, the swimming pool, the library, and so many other doors that Watts knew the boy was stalling. Fear was all that appeared to dominate him, and he knew the boy must have developed that because of Jacques. Watts knew full well that his former colleague was not affectionate, and was often distant, focused on an ideal and a projection rather than the reality. It was all cold and calculated, something Arthur had maintained respect for and, now, found easy to manipulate to his own ends while Taurus did whatever the fuck he wanted in the city over the next few weeks with this heavy day being the first in their own schemes.

"Umm…" Whitley nervously lingered in the door to his father's study, unsure of how to explain what he was so startled by. "There's a man here to see you."

"What was that, Whitley?" Jacques irritably snapped, drawing his son from his thoughts. "I told you and your mother and even Emmett for God's sake not to let anyone in here!"

Whitley flinched. "He...kind of let himself in."

Jacques raised an eyebrow in disbelief, something which was only amplified when the man stepped into his study. He could barely believe he was staring at one of his former business partners, let alone one presumed to be dead. At first he was horrified. Whitley, while being taken away by his mother, would still inherit the SDC and Jacques did not like the notion of his son being left with someone so dangerous even for a little. He also knew Arthur would never come without purpose and had to know something. Quickly, Jacques began to recount every company action he'd recently instated. He had fired everyone in his upper staff whom he could not trust and he had been itching to pull the trigger on the lower staff in Mantle too. Much to his disappointment, for the time being, he had to play politics.

He was not short of anger towards Ironwood for supporting the fucking dust embargo so vehemently, and the same held true for his brother-in-law. When Emmett had come by the manor a few hours before to help his sister, nephew, and Klein with the logistics of them leaving, Jacques had found himself struggling to contain his anger. He had worked endlessly for decades to secure a perfect image and that had been shattered by a few months in court. For a moment, he had even wished Emmett still acted like a spoiled brat, but it seemed that was long gone. Instead, he was running through the manor with his sister, helping her and Whitley leave alongside Klein, who had more than happily agreed to come work for Willow when her now-ex husband had fired him. Briefly, for Emmett, at any rate, things almost seemed to have returned to as normal as things ever were for the Schnees.

"Okay," Emmett said, heaving another box full books from the manor's spacious library into the moving truck. "I don't know how we're going to get the rest of them."

Willow laughed. "How come?"

"Because your son is scrawny, you constantly get distracted," He lamented. "And, if Klein is right, I look like an uncooked chicken."

Whitley smirked. "Can I call you that?"

Emmett shrugged. "If you want me to take up drinking and gambling, then sure."

Willow all but stabbed his foot with her heels.

"Not with my son, you won't!" She exclaimed, much to the amusement of Whitley and Klein. "Winter has done enough bad things in her day to give Whitley ideas! Don't encourage him to reenact that!"

"I'm not very creative, mom," Whitley countered. "And I think I know better than to act like Emmett."

Klein chortled. "He has been known to be quite the charmer!"

Emmett rolled his eyes. "Thanks," He dryly replied, then turning back to his sister. "Still, you seem better since the divorce."

Willow smiled. "Thanks."

"Change anything?" Emmett remarked, starting to tape up the many boxes that were already loaded. "Other than your marital status?"

Willow paused for a moment in thought. "Well, I started smoking again."

Emmett raised an eyebrow disapprovingly.

"I'm not a child, Emmett," Willow reminded him with a laugh. "And I'm older than you. Don't be like that."

He put his hands up in surrender and sat down on one of the shut boxes, causing his nephew to chuckle.

"You're a man child," Whitley said. "It seems mom was right."

Emmett shrugged. "I will not confirm or deny that allegation."

"That means he agrees," Klein whispered. "Actually, Master Whitley, when in doubt, always assume those words mean yes."

Whitley sent him a confused look. "People don't often mean what they say, though."

Klein sighed. "With your uncle, at least, it's a fair assumption."

For the first time in awhile, Whitley genuinely smiled.

"I'll give you that," The heir to the SDC replied. "Touché."

**Author's Note: Hey! Hope everyone isdoing well! Just wanted to say the next chapter will be a longer one so it may take awhile to turn around! Also, much love to my friend Emil! Happy late birthday and happy early Easter, y'all!**


	77. Impossible to Break Free

**_September 13th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo _**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:36 PM_**

Something has changed in the air, and Gina Adel could smell it just as well as she could taste its grit on her tongue. She had ordered the rest of them away; for now, she wanted to be alone. All she knew for certain was that Karissa Mar was angry with them and getting tired of playing nice. Gina knew Elizabeth Morell felt the same way; the haughty and vastly domineering chair of the Atlesian National Security Council had said about as much during the call the night before. Yet it was not Morell or Mar or anyone in Atlas who bothered her that night. No, Gina could feel the aura of the woman from before, in the market, and she was terrified she was coming for her. Was it possible she had recognize the terrible power Blake Adel's estranged daughter possessed? Gina could barely ponder the thought without wanting to vomit and she was struggling to steel her nerves for a confrontation. Even though she saw it coming, she was no more prepared than she would have been weeks before and she was utterly terrified. Then, on the balcony, something glinted and caught her eye. A single, silver arrow flew threw the room and into the wall just before a slim figure pushed the doors open and stepped in. She shed her hood while Gina reached for a gun but, much to her dismay, there was nothing there. She cursed under her breath, vowing to haunt Roman's fucking ass if she died. The woman before her had the smirk of someone who had done this dirty work before and she was dressed like an asssassin.

Assassin. The word reverberated in her head while she activated her powers as the Summer Maiden, knowing it was the only way to defend herself from her adversary. Suddenly, she realized who this woman really was. The glorified prime minister of Vacuo: Rosalinde Diana Varna.

"I will give you the chance to die honorably before me," Varna said, her youthful body and instincts on tentherhooks. "With this."

She used her own powers as a sorceress to summon dual blades and threw them at Gina's feet. Hesitation spurned Gina's limbs. Part of her was accepting and wanted to take her own life if Varna were going to kill her. Yet something far more primal persisted when she was down on her knees and had raised both swords to disembowel herself. Varna was inching closer and closer, ready to seize the power for herself. Gina could feel her heart pounding and her ears almost hurt from the distant ringing. The former heiress suddenly realized that she was not quite ready to die and chose to fake Varna out in the hope of killing her before she herself were killed. For just a millisecond, Gina imagined her feelings must have been almost exactly what Emmeline Ciel must have felt all those years ago when Cinder Fall had come to kill the Atlesian general for a sense of power that did not belong to her. It was almost ironic, Gina thought, but she did not have to luxury of dwelling on her thoughts. Just as the raised swords would have pierced her skin, she turned them around into Varna's legs and took her down swiftly, panting.

"It won't…" Gina wheezed. "It won't be that easy to kill me."

Varna let out an angered shriek and disintegrated the swords before quickly healing herself and charging at Gina with a ball of fire in hand. The former heiress barely ducked out of the way when the woman threw it, and she stared in horror while it flew out into the distance through the open balcony. Varna took advantage of the distraction to tackle the Summer Maiden but, just when she summoned a knife to plunge into the girl's chest, she was flung off by a sudden wind storm. She crashed into the wall on the other side of the room, and the impact caused several paintings to fall and shook everything else. The Summer Maiden stood up, her eyes sparking dangerously with the power coursing through her. She was almost a woman possessed and she was merciless because of it. She felt no shame for it, either. Varna wanted more than simply her blood; the vile woman wanted something to lord over people, and especially those in Atlas. Gina felt no ties to the kingdom she had once called home or family she had once been controlled by. Now, the only thing she gave a single fuck about was her survival. It was a dangerous game to play, but Gina was more than willing to roll the dice.

She summoned a wall of ice in front of herself just before Varna could have stabbed her through the chest. The summoned knife of the sorceress' shattered upon the impact and dissipated into the air. In this time, Gina felt some of her childhood spark return to her. Coco had always been the one to love the glittering capital and to waste time with their rich ass parents but Gina had spent most of her childhood on their grandmother's farm in the midwest. Atlas was a surprisingly good place for dairy farming, after all. Her fingers itched while she summoned wall after wall to protect herself; she knew if she weren't careful that she would over extend herself and her aura would snap. The thought frightened her but she did not relent. Relenting would have the same effect as breaking her aura, after all. The shields she had against Varna were slim and draining by the second but it was clear, too, that the PM of Vacuo hadn't fought in a long time. She was almost sloppy and seemingly careless in her attempts against Gina, which the former heiresss tried to wring to her advantage. Ever so briefly, she grasped the upper hand, she flipped over the couch, she was ready to kill her accoster and restore her status in Atlas, and then —

Nothing. There was nothing. In a flash of blinding light, Rosalinde Varna flew under the Summer Maiden and ran a summoned blade clean through her heart. The girl fell limp onto the floor, just at the prime minister's feet.

"Pathetic…" Rosalinde muttered.

The power of the Summer Maiden flowed through her, now, and she slipped out into the descending darkness quickly. She was unseen. Yet, a few minutes later, Roman Torchwick, Neopolitain, and Marshall returned only to find their teammate sprawled out dead on the floor with blood pooling out of her chest. Marshall swore, Neo grimaced, and Roman — in a moment of quick thinking — called Atlesian officials for help and reported the situation. They were no longer safe, that much was clear, and the most important member of their pseudo-team (to the Atlas Council, at any rate) was dead — likely from brutal murder. Not a damn thing was safe anymore, and now it seemed they were all completely fucked over.

* * *

**_September 16th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:52 PM_**

"Oh, God damn it!"

Karissa Mar angrily pushed the most recent report she had received on the situation in Vacuo aside, infuriated with that kingdom's PM and infuriated with the people she and the Security Council had sent there. Nobody had a damn clue as to who killed Gina Adel, nobody seemed to have anything useful to say, and the elections for the commons in Atlas were nothing short of chaotic. Karissa despised the idea of Jacques Schnee being elected to the legislature but she held both him and his opponent in contempt. Robyn Hill could never defeat Schnee, if only because of his money, and she was never going to accept it. Karissa knew full well that Robyn would never stop following government vehicles, or spying on the Amity Communications Satellite, or whatever else it was she had her so-called Happy Huntresses do. Unless she won the election by a miracle of God, it would never stop and fucking Jacques Schnee would slowly begin to amass power like he had always wanted. Under the assumption Robyn would lose, Karissa knew she needed to develop a scheme. If Ronnie took her on as his head of security or even...if Elizabeth became president after him, then she could move Robyn to that position and...

Karissa sighed heavily and rubbed her temples in resignation. In short, even if her scheme could work, everything else was a fucking nightmare even without the knowledge that her own sister-in-law had —

"Madame Mar, I am so sorry to interrupt, but your husband is here and says he wants to see you."

Karissa smiled lightly and adjusted her glasses.

"Send him in."

A mere few seconds after her words, Spencer stepped in with an easy smile and shut the door behind him. Karissa was never more relieved to see him.

"I thought you said you'd be home around five thirty," Spencer eventually said, rubbing his neck. "I was worried something had happened."

Karissa shook her head. "Just being drowned in work. Between the aggression in Vacuo and the worsening situation with the White Fang…"

Spencer bit his lip. "I heard Taurus might be in the kingdom."

"He's not the biggest concern," Karissa replied, tiredly pulling off her glasses and setting them aside. "The matter regarding the previous leader of the White Fang, however…"

Spencer raised an eyebrow when she trailed off, looking rather nervous as she fidgeted with a pen.

"'Rissa," He said hesitantly. "What is it?"

She stared at her hands for a moment, swallowing hard.

"By rights, even I shouldn't know about this," Karissa finally said. "But I was involved and since you're only a professor…"

Spencer came over to her and gently rested his hands over hers.

"Are you sure you're okay?" He murmured. "I know the last few weeks have been hell. Ronnie has been driving me up the wall too so I…"

"The Ace-Ops didn't kill Khan," Karissa said softly. "Emily did, in direct disobedience to orders. The security council fabricated the story."

Spencer took in a sharp breath. "You're kidding."

"I wish," Karissa muttered. "But it's thrown us all for a loop."

A painful silence befell them and neither of them seemed apt to break it.

"I'll…" Karissa sighed and slipped her computer and glasses into her bag. "I took the train in. Did you drive?"

Spencer nodded. "Of course. Percy and Luna are playing with the radio in the car. Apparently they wanted something to do after having to sit through the end of my lecture this afternoon, where the most exciting thing that happened involved someone getting a spit ball caught up in their nose."

Karissa laughed weakly, shutting down her office for the night and activating the security system.

"I have to ask," She said with a small smile. "How the hell did that happen?"

Spencer considered it. "Well," He said as they stepped into the elevator. "It looked like Flynt Coal was annoyed with one of his teammates and missed, causing the person next to them to accidentally inhale a spit ball."

She shuddered at the thought. "Good Lord."

"And, because shit apparently had yet to hit the fan after that incident," Spencer went on. "Luna expressed admiration for Natalie's criminal record, something which, as you can imagine, horrified Percy and Jasper while amusing Matt."

Karissa stared at him incredulously for a few seconds.

"I hate to ask," She said, sounding rather concerned. "But what compelled that?"

"Probably the fact that the murder of Gina Adel is causing a pseudo-lockdown," He admitted as they stepped out of the elevator. "That and the fact the kingdom has been on high alert for awhile. Either way, Luna seems to think life is boring and thinks Nattie knows how to have a good time."

"No," Karissa said with finality. "I love Nattie to death but, if she hadn't decided to apply for the military program at Atlas Academy a few weeks ago, I wouldn't know what to do with her."

"What can I say? They're odd balls," Spencer laughed a little. "I agree, though, and I just hope she learns that highway dividers are not a good place to have a party."

"I just hope she finally stops attending quote un quote smash parties," Karissa muttered, buzzing out of the DFAMA's primary building. "I can't believe she and her friends like trashing abandoned houses anyways."

Spencer paused her in the parking lot to briefly kiss her forehead and loosely embrace her.

"I'll never understand it either," He said just before they got in the car (only to find their son and daughter had turned it into a Britney Spears show). "But there isn't anyone else I'd rather be on this train with."

Karissa smiled and squeezed his hand. "Good."

* * *

**_September 20th_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:22 PM_**

For once, the subway system coming in and out of the swankiest district of the Atlesian capital was almost barren. More likely than not, this had something to do with the declaration of national emergency caused by a slew of murders in Vacuo — all of which affected Atlesian citizens and military personnel and all of which seemed to be potentially orchestrated by Vacuo's prime minister. This had apparently begun a week before and, funnily enough, played into the hands of Adam Taurus. He snuck past the security and coasted down the deep escalator with his sword and his guns hidden in his pockets. He knew Ivy would have to come through the system at some point, and he would be ready to corner her when she did. He didn't believe a damn word Ironwood had said, but he had to tie up his loose ends while he was in the kingdom.

If Ivy wouldn't be swayed then she would be no better than Blake had ever been.

The faint sense of luck he had soon proved to be on his side. Lingering after the eight thirty train had arrived were the president's son, the elder stepdaughter of the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, and the younger daughter of the headmaster of Atlas Academy. They had no idea he was there, among the people arriving from work or from dinner, and he was more than a little pleased for it. Slinking up to the alarm, Adam broke the shield and set off the system, putting the station into lockdown. It was a damn good thing they were the only three civilians left when he made the move, considering that Adam felt pissed as hell and was more than willing to shoot anyone who got in his way.

"The one time I don't have my gauntlets!" Yang angrily yelled, kicking a nearby trash can. "And we get fucking —"

"I always carry a spare gun," Devin yelled over her and the alarms. "Take it, brawler!"

"Stop acting like this is a joke!" Ivy snapped, reaching into her jacket for her own gun and knives. "If a grimm made it into the capital, then —"

"There aren't any grimm, and, even if there were, you shouldn't be worried about what isn't going to kill you."

Ivy felt her blood run cold, as did Yang, upon hearing the all-too-familiar drawl of Adam Taurus. Devin flinched too, but only after the man revealed his face. They were all too stunned to reply. Ivy found herself flooded by the memories of the nights she had spent with him and suddenly felt terror for their — no, her — daughter. Her mind began to swim as she kept gripping for her weapons, fearing the worst of the man she had loved. The only thought she had that was certain was that he would not make their little girl an orphan. Shaking beside her, Yang's state of mind was no better as she tightened her natural hand around Devin's spare gun. The clearest thing to her was that Adam deserved to be put through hell and back. The motherfucker had cost her arm and countless lives at the Fall of Beacon. For everyone, she had to bring about retribution. Devin found himself paralyzed by fear, and he struggled to hide his tail. Being a faunus was dangerous enough, but being that and the son of the Atlesian president could spell disaster if he were seen even fighting Taurus.

That was when Adam began to open fire.

Ivy and Yang charged at him in an attempt to tag-team their attacks against him, but Devin dodged out of the way and pulled out his scroll. Around him, glass was breaking, and a vicious fight was starting to ensue. Adam had gotten quicker since he had last fought, and it amused him that he could very well have his revenge on the Schnees and the Ciels within the hour. Ivy was not one to fight easy, though. As he tried to cut at her with his blade, she flung knives and Yang threw punches. They were struggling to hit him; the recently assumed leader of the White Fang was swift as the wind and had the element of surprise on his side. He knew just as well as they did that both women were a little disoriented. Still, they were both trained huntresses and were powerful enough to ward him off for at least a time and, they hoped, that time would do what it took to break the feral man's aura. Devin was not of the same confidence. Fearing the absolute worst was about to come, he quickly called the man whom he knew could help them and, at the same time, whom he feared almost as much as the dreadful scene he was facing.

"Dad!" Devin said frantically, cowering behind one of the structural stone pillars. "We're in trouble! Adam Taurus got into the Foggy Bottom subway stop and —"

"I'll send the nearest person I can," Ronnie quickly replied, audibly tapping on his computer. "Stay out of the fight, Devin. Your mother can't take another heartbreak."

The line clicked off and the young huntsman found himself rather conflicted. He had always listened to his father; never before had he disobeyed him even in the smallest of ways. Neon had been the rebellious one, but he had always been quiet. Yet he knew he could not hide behind his family and their name forever. If someone died that night, he would want it to be the man who led the very same group that had killed his grandfather. He hated what he was about to do, but he knew he needed to buy them some time. Running out into the fray, Devin fired out his shotgun and smacked Adam with it, rage fueling him. Ivy and Yand paused for just a second but shared a knowing look and began to fight to subdue Adam as well. Briefly, they gained the upper hand but Adam was nothing if not tactical. He swung his sword upwards — not able to draw blood but with enough force to do damage — and smacked Devin in the head with it before gathering a substantial amount of his remaining aura to blast the president's son several feet back. Yang tried to rip the weapon from the murderous man's grasp with her cybernetic arm but was kicked to the side alongside Ivy and both of them struggled to get up.

"An ear to match the arm," Adam mercilessly sneered. "What do you think, blondie?"

Yang shrieked and tried to get out of the way but he was faster. His sword cut her left ear clean off, and she let out a terrible cry of pain. Her semblance activated along with it and, finally, managed to tear the sword away from him and cast it far aside. Adam began to shout but did not chase it. He refused to squander his advantages but he knew his aura was weak. Both of them were too strong, at least together, and he only cared about ending one of their lives. He decided then to take a risk. As with Devin, he cast Yang back and in the process broke his aura. He then turned on Ivy, who was terribly shocked, and charged at her. It was almost too easy to pin her down. She struggled violently, thrashing, crying, and screaming all the while. Adam hesitated for a second as he reached for his gun, catching a glimpse of the woman he had lustfully fallen for, but chose to act. Someone had to make her an example. After everything, he no longer gave a damn. The fucking Schnees and their empty promises. The fucking Ciels and their schemes. Every fucking member of the Atlesian government, whether the legislature, the executive government, or the judiciary. He wanted to stick it to or kill every last one of them in revenge for his wasted youth, the pretty lies, and the ugly truth. Oh, Ivy was terrified by the heat of the fight and she was almost certain she was going to die while she struggled to get even one of her knives out in defense and then —

A single gunshot reverberated through the underground station and a second one soon followed. The first hit Adam in the back and he collapsed over, blood spewing everywhere, but he fell motionless after the second, which shot clean through his head. Ivy looked almost as if she would faint and Yang, her head still bleeding from where Adam had sliced off her left ear, tried to weakly steady her as she drew her up to her feet. When the station was finally in focus for them again, the hunters saw General James Ironwood, Lieutenant Commander Winter Schnee, and the city police alongside paramedics. Though everything seemed hazy, Ivy was never more relieved to see her father.

"That was for Hope," James said, bitterly looking at Adam's corpse.

"So…" Yang said, sitting down dizzily while paramedics moved towards them, assessing their states. "Hey, General Ironwood! We lived...but I guess my stepmom's gonna flip out when she hears about this…"

Ironwood sighed, gesturing to her missing ear while the paramedics prepared to take her, Ivy, and Devin to the Greater Virginia Hospital for examination. As the EMT train stopped in the station to move the three injured hunters to the hospital downtown, Devin Katt finally, despite the throbbing welt on his forehead, laughed at Yang's words.

"How much…" He wheezed, falling back slightly into the stretcher. "How much do ya wanna bet she already has?"

Ivy tried to stand up again despite protests, with the paramedics and her father reminding her she was bleeding from a deep gash in her leg. She barely moved a few steps before she fainted and the EMTs rushed her, a loopy Devin, and a half conscious Yang onto the train. It quickly departed and the police began to tape off the scene.

"Sir," Winter finally said, looking to the general nervously. "Is it possible this is the end of the threat posed by the White Fang?"

James cast a wary look towards Adam's body and then shook his head.

"Something will rise up in their place," He said heavily. "And, at all costs, we must be prepared to fight it."

* * *

**_September 24th_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:04 PM_**

"Hmmph," Qrow Branwen snorted as he sat down at the bar next to a man with a cane and a bowler hat. "Never thought you'd be so confident around here."

Roman rolled his eyes. "I ain't a criminal anymore, just an asset of fuckin' Karissa Mar's. Hey!" He snapped his fingers at the bartender. "Get some fancy ass vodka shots for me and my man! I fuckin' deserve it."

Qrow raised an eyebrow, uncomfortable and also amused.

"Lemme tell ya about the last few months," The ex-con artist said, taking back his first shot. "It all starts in a shitty truck."

"Of course it does…" Qrow said under his breath.

Roman snorted. "As if you could afford much better."

Qrow smirked. "On the credit card of my best friend's wife? I could get a vintage, perfectly restored Ferrari under Eliza Morell's name."

Roman took another shot. "Great." He said dryly. "You could start a collection."

"Maybe I will," Qrow taunted. "You don't know what I've got access to."

Roman shrugged. "Feelin' pissy 'cause someone stole your flower?"

Qrow splashed a pair of shots in the ex-con's face for his retort.

"I've got a dick," Qrow said darkly. "But I've deflowered a couple of women so —"

"Yeah, yeah," Roman said, flippantly waving his hand. "But, seriously, who knows what you've got down there."

Qrow stiffened. "That's rich, comin' from a gold digger like you."

Roman threw a swift punch that (considering that he had been drinking hard for awhile) did not miss, something Qrow later would blame his semblance for.

"I wouldn't call myself a gold digger," Roman huffed, popping the collar of his jacket. "I think you could be though...or do you mainly frequent cheap strip clubs?"

Qrow drunkenly tried to smack the ex-con but, much like Roman, he had also been drinking for awhile, albeit from his flask before he decided he wanted something nicer.

"Alright," The huntsman said, still trying to slap the ex-con. "Listen, you're wrong, Roman. The strip club near my apartment here may be cheap, but it has a free buffet so…"

"Poor man has gotta do what he's gotta do," Roman taunted. "Is it cheap because it has glitter in the food? Or do the strippers dance in it?"

Qrow took back three shots in quick succession, not dignifying him with a response.

"I may be lucky to be protected here from the fuckin' Queen and her minions, but at least I have standards," Roman went on, taking several shots himself. "I have a wife, you know."

"I have a girlfriend," Qrow retorted. "Thinkin' about marrying her too, although I ain't sure Schnee will be too happy about it?"

Roman raised an eyebrow, or, at least, tried to. "Oh, wait, hold on," He said, laughing. "We talking about my ex from twenty, thirty years back? Are you afraid of Emmett Schnee?"

"Very much so," Qrow gruffly replied. "I'm afraid of Ironwood, too."

"James and Glynda aren't scary," Roman waved his hand dismissively. "And you're crazy to think Schnee is."

"Am I?" Qrow laughed dryly and lowered his voice. "You haven't seen them in awhile, not really, anyways. Schnee defended his wife after she assassinated someone, and Ironwood and Glynda did too...although I guess I'm more afraid of Schnee's wife than him."

Roman rolled his eyes, looking bored.

"How 'bout we go get some tacos down the street and go have some fun," The ex-con slapped down to hundred-lien notes and pushed them towards the bartender. "My wife keeps knives, a Louisville slugger, and a bunch of plastic feet in the trunk of the car. Half the fun is that we won't remember this in the morning."

Qrow shrugged. "Well, I'm wasted," He admitted, stumbling off with the ex-con. "I guess a little fun never hurts."

"That's right," Roman grinned. "Let's go slash some tires and smash in some headlights, tweety bird."

* * *

**_September 29th_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:39 PM_**

Emmeline Ciel woke up suddenly with the sound of screaming fresh in her ears from the nightmare. Disoriented, she immediately tried to reach for something to fight with but tripped and fell harshly to the ground. The sound startled Emmett, who had been half-asleep, and he quickly slammed his glasses on to be by her side. Her aura was rippling weakly over her and she felt heavy and sore. Ever so gently, Emmett pulled her in close and began to stroke her hair in an attempt to soothe her. Tears weighing on her eyes, Emmeline began to cry. Emmett drew her only closer, letting her sob into his chest while he stroked her hair and softly murmured to her, trying to remind her that she was safe, that it was only a dream, and that he was there for her. He knew how much she was tortured by what she had done and by the memories that had driven it. He had been struggling too, but he had also been trying to stay strong for her sake. She had been so weak since Haven, and the psychiatrist they had been seeing for the last several years had re-diagnosed Emmeline with severe PTSD. Emmett had stepped out of his lectures so many times since Haven to soothe his panic-stricken wife over the phone, and he was more than grateful that James understood. Emmett knew he was more worried by the day; not only for her but for himself and their children.

"Shh…" He murmured. "Emmy, it's going to be okay."

"No it's not," She mumbled through broken sobs. "I can barely bring myself to eat anymore, I can't work, I…"

"You need time to recover," He gently reminded her. "All of us do."

"I just...I want the room to take me under… I…" Emmeline shuddered, feeling suddenly cold. "I…oh, God, Emmett, I've just lost all sense of pride, or..."

"No," Emmett said, drawing her as close as he could. "Emmy, you're not going to die. Not while I'm alive, and —"

"Daddy?" The small voice of their son pressed from the hallway. "Mommy?"

"Eddie?" Emmett said, looking to his son worriedly. "Is everything okay?"

"I heard a scary noise…" Eddie mumbled, clutching his blanket. "Is mommy okay?"

"I just…" Emmeline brushed the tears away from her eyes, feeling weaker than ever. "I tripped, Eddie, but I'm okay."

He nodded. "Can I sleep here with you and daddy tonight?"

Emmeline almost started crying again.

"Of course, baby," She said, her voice breaking. "Come here."

Eddie all but ran over to his parents and hugged them tightly.

"Are you crying?" He asked his mother.

Emmeline swallowed hard. "Maybe a little."

"Emmy, honey," Emmett said softly, cupping her cheek. "In a few years, this will all be over. I promise."

She sighed heavily but nodded weakly, wanting nothing more than to believe him.

**Author's Note: Fired up? Next chapter time skips ahead eight years — and everything will still be in the balance.**


	78. Time Passes (By Eight Years)

**_Eight Years Later_**

**_September 30th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:42 PM_**

"Please, I ask that all of you calm down. This is a gravely serious matter, and I can assure you it is not being taken lightly."

Chaos kept ensuing despite her words and the orders by security personnel. As a result, the recently elected Atlesian President Elizabeth Morell sighed heavily and rested her hand against her forehead in exasperation. It had only been since early January that the Ciel Administration had come to its conclusion and she had found herself wishing, most especially in recent weeks, that Ronnie had accepted the position as her top advisor. He had not (and continued to refuse in spite of her pressing) and kept reminding her that his days in politics were over and that he wanted time for himself, his wife, and their family. He had almost smugly reminded her, too, that he wished to have no part in the revelation of the true nature of Gina Adel's death, the true (read: unofficial) reasons for Atlas declaring war on the _Queen_ of Vacuo's regime, and, of course, how intertwined those matters were with Ozpin's group. It was an action they had meant to take a decade prior but hadn't because of the (recently declassified) events that had transpired at Haven Academy — including its darkest secret.

God, how she wished she could have stopped at least the declassification of Emmeline's actions that night. It was always going to be more trouble than it was worth, and yet Blake Adel had been persistent. Very fucking persistent.

"Quiet!"

Elizabeth turned in surprise upon her head of presidential security — Robyn Hill — snapping at everyone with a microphone in hand. The room fell silent and turned to both of them in worried anticipation.

"Madame President," Robyn said with a respectful nod.

Elizabeth straightened herself out before she leaned slightly forward to adjust the podium microphone.

"I understand that everyone in this kingdom is afraid," She finally said, struggling to remain calm herself. "But we must remain united. The threats we face today are the same threats we faced a decade ago — only now you know their names. Miss Hill and I have done everything to prove this is the truth...but it is up to all of you what you will do with it. I will tell you all one thing from experience, however: fearing the concept of our enemies will only give them more power to overwhelm us."

"You fuckers lied about the White Fang!" Someone — probably a man — shouted in the crowd. "Those terrorists didn't dissipate just to form the Consolate in Mistral! It was because of General Ciel breaking the law! She defied —"

"That matter has been long since addressed," Elizabeth said tersely. "And General Ciel had continued to do our country incredible and brave service since then."

"The Ciels are corrupt!" The man shouted back. "Ronnie Ciel —"

"If I may," Robyn said, sharing a tired look with President Morell. "It would probably interest you to know that the document recording that event also recorded the decision to keep it quiet and to not inform the Ciel family due to potential conflicts of interest. I hope you will all take a hard look at things before you make anymore assumptions."

Elizabeth restrained herself from smiling in gratitude. Though she and Robyn often disagreed, Hill was an excellent head of security. Silently, Elizabeth found herself thanking Karissa again for making the recommendation. Robyn was still often short of temper and self-righteous, but her skill remained, as it always was, undeniable. Swallowing hard, Elizabeth tried not to worry too much about Tai, Violet, or Yang. They were fully prepared to support her through hell, and they knew the situation was ugly at the very best. Even Ruby seemed to know it too, and Elizabeth only dreaded the impending meeting with Ozpin and the others. She still loathed how clear it was that the "Inner Circle" of his group knew more than she did, and the secrets infuriated her to no end. Nevertheless, she had great trust for all of them and had without hesitation raised Emmeline to being the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council. Elizabeth had not been thrilled to abandon the position she had held for just over twenty years but she hadn't felt she had much of a choice. The people of Atlas needed someone who would protect them, someone who would act, and she held little confidence in others to do so especially when she had so much knowledge that, until very recently, the rest of the world had lacked.

"Madame President," A reporter said calmly, standing up as they spoke. "You were the previous chair of the ANSC. It was your decision to keep the matter at Haven quiet. When you appointed General Ciel to that position, those events were not public. Did that, to your knowledge, impact the general's confirmation to that post? Furthermore, do you believe the events at Haven in any manner disqualify General Ciel to be in public service?"

Robyn began to respond but Elizabeth deftly raised her hand to silence her.

"The senate was given access to the documents pertaining to that incident via the Department of Justice," Elizabeth smoothly replied, her face betraying no hint of emotion. "So, in short, the fact that those events were still classified until August had no impact on the outcome of the hearing. To address your other concern, I will say only that General Ciel has faithfully served our country even at great personal cost. Her decades of sacrifice were, ultimately, far more important to the security council and the senate than any...transgressions, shall we say."

"I would like to add," Roybn cut in after a brief pause. "That we all are about to face some very difficult choices as we wrestle with domestic and foreign enemies alike. I have never truly agreed with General Emmeline Ciel once — heavens, we must have fought on at least seventy-five different fronts — but she holds firm beliefs that she has fought for. While it doesn't thrill me to quote her...I think we all ought to be reminded of her words after her father's murder."

Robyn hesitated for a moment upon hearing the room fall dead silent and Elizabeth flinching.

"But, as I must," Robyn said heavily. "When the first shots are fired: who will you be able to trust?"

* * *

**_October 3rd_**

**_City of Atlas _**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:23 AM_**

Murderer. Half-wit. Racist. Douche. Fucker.

Eddie Ciel wanted to cry when he saw the state of his locker, something made worse when a six foot tall faunus girl angrily slammed him against it while she walked by. The hallways were overcrowded by teachers and students alike, and none of them seemed particularly interested in helping him out. He felt childish for a sixteen year old but he couldn't help being upset. He had known about what had happened to the second to last leader of the White Fang since he was eleven and he had come to terms with it. He still loved his mother despite being more and more worried about her about her declining mental health. His father seemed to see it too. It was rare she went on missions without her full team and the last one a few weeks before had weakened her greatly. Whatever it was they had fought, it had almost killed her. Even for a man who worried incessantly about his family, Emmett had become paranoid. He was an esteemed professor, after all, and believed he and his team were important enough to be on _somebody's_ bad books.

Someone dangerous, to boot.

Eddie hated what he was about to do but he couldn't take one more second. It was too much. Shakily, he closed his locker, stumbled into the fray, and let himself fall forward as if he had fainted. He heard jeering, a slight kick to his side. He took it as further reason to justify it. Another minute or maybe two passed before he could feel someone lift him up. He didn't like where he knew he would be taken but it was better than going to his world history class and hearing people make snide comments about his family. It angered him when people said his mother deserved to be arrested and stripped of her titles. It upset him when, every so often, someone would remark that, if his grandfather had bent a knee and "done what needed to be done" for the faunus, he would have lived. Eddie had snapped once and defended his grandfather and namesake, telling everyone that his grandfather had been braver than they would ever be, that...no, he couldn't keep thinking about this, not without starting to cry. Willing himself to stay limp and motionless, he briefly drifted off after being laid down on a cot in the nurse's office. It wasn't until he heard the clicks of the phone line and his father's (notably loud) voice over it that he dizzily pushed himself up. He rubbed his head, and tried his damndest to look like he had actually fainted. By a stroke of luck, he wasn't questioned.

"Let me talk to him!" Emmett exclaimed frantically through the phone line. "I'll have my daughter-in-law pick him up — Caitlin Ironwood. She should be his emergency release contact but, please, I need to make sure he's okay!"

The nurse sighed and he handed Eddie the landline cautiously before stepping into the administrative office to call the release contact.

"Eddie?" Emmett pressed gently after a few seconds. "I heard you fainted? Are you alright?"

He didn't stop himself from crying. "No…" The sixteen year old admitted.

"What happened?" Emmett asked worriedly. "It wasn't your semblance or your gift, right?"

Eddie swallowed hard. "I faked it," He whispered when he was sure no one would over hear. "I can't do this today. I got smacked, people wrote awful things on my locker, and I'm sick of hiding. I just need to go home."

Emmett took in a sharp breath. "I understand," He said calmly. "But I'm going to call a meeting about this. If they don't put an end to it, I will."

"Don't," Eddie mumbled. "It'll just make shit worse…"

He shakily put the receiver down a few seconds before the nurse returned, not wanting to hear his father's response.

"She said she'll be here in the minutes," He said, typing on his computer without so much as even looking at Eddie. "Luckily for you, the teacher who found you brought your things up."

Eddie said nothing and fidgeted with his glasses and shaggy dark hair. He hadn't cut it in months and, while it was short compared to his father's nearly waist length hair, it still reached his shoulders. He looked paler than usual, and his eyes were almost dull. Still, the promise of Caitlin's pick up truck (and probably Dunkin Donuts) was sweet and he knew she would understand. She was a private prosecutor, after all, and she worked with reason and intricacies at the firm while applying her knowledge of abnormal psychology to put people behind bars. Her entire job was to make sense of the inconceivable. More than that, she too was gifted (her ability to make snap-judgements of people was nothing short of unparalleled) and she understood him. She listened, just like his eldest sister — Cate's wife. Eddie hated how much of a social pariah he had become but he couldn't help it. Getting top marks in the hardest classes seemed to be all he had and it was an expectation held by his parents, by the Ironwood-Goodwitches, by Cristal and Ozpin, and everyone else close to them. Eddie bit back tears, hating that he was friendless and hating that he was underestimated by seemingly everyone he met.

"Miss Ironwood —" The nurse protested upon her stepping into the room, slinging Eddie's bags over her shoulder, and helping him stand up.

"Well, I'm not going let a fainting victim carry a twenty pound backpack," Caitlin huffed, pushing her large round glasses before irritably fluffing her long white permed hair. "I should think that would be unnecessarily cruel, don't you?"

The nurse said nothing and Caitlin took her silence as agreement. She quickly ushered Eddie out of the building and into the front passenger seat of her car, not letting anyone see him. He slumped into the seat, dejected, before pulling the seatbelt down and fastening himself in. She eyed him worriedly for a moment but then shook her head, fastened herself in, and began to drive. Blink-182 echoed through the stereo system, and Eddie mumbled a thanks to her that she returned with a small smile. She drove in silence for a long time, but, sure enough, pulled in front of the Dunkin Donuts (one of many, anyway) and cut the engine. She did not immediately get out but, when she did, she left him in the truck. He couldn't help but he relieved. He was drained, he was upset, and he barely could tell what —

"I'm back," She chirped, holding a box of half a dozen donuts in her arms. "I got three Boston Kreme and three cinnamon. Take your pick."

Eddie smiled weakly and pulled out a cinnamon donut while she took a Boston Kreme. Smirking slightly, and bumped her donut against his the way one would a wine glass and then they both took a bite.

"I haven't had one of these in awhile," She said after a moment. "Can I assume Emmett rations sweets at home like we live in the Fallout?"

Eddie laughed. "He does."

Cate affectionately ruffled his hair. "You've got a good smile, kiddo, and a lot of heart," She told him. "I know shit has hit the fan but you're going to do just fine."

Eddie smiled more than he had in a long time and, rare as it was, he found that part of him believed her.

* * *

**_October 8th_**

**_Beacon Academy CCTS Tower_**

**_Beacon Academy_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:14 PM_**

"This is bad," James said, worriedly tapping his fingers on the edge of his wife's desk. "I know we had plans, but this has been the worst possible outcome, especially with the accident during the mission last month."

Emmett flinched and drew Emmeline in especially close.

"Everyone survived, no one was seriously injured," He said, although more to calm himself rather than the rest of them. "And, frankly, I think the bigger issue here is with Varna disappearing."

Theodore sent him a dark look. "If that's a jab at me because I'm the headmaster of Shade Academy, then —"

"Furthermore," Emmett went on, ignoring his words. "I have a serious bone to pick with Blake Adel when we get back to Atlas next week, considering that term had wrapped and all."

Glynda raised an eyebrow. "Is that supposed to be news? The two of you have been warring since New Years."

"For good reason," Emmett muttered darkly.

Elizabeth shot him a warning look. "I don't agree with what he did, but this feud of yours is going too far."

"Seconded," Cristal put in tiredly.

"Well, that's his doing," Emmett retorted. "For pushing for and then doing something that has really fucked up my family — especially for my son starting his sophomore year of high school."

Nobody contested his words and a difficult, heavy silence came over them.

"He started this fire," Emmett went on, causing Ozpin to cringe. "And now he's going to get burned."

Emmeline pulled his coffee mug out of his hands, getting a grateful look from the rest of them because of it.

"That's enough coffee."

"There's no such thing!" Emmett protested. "I will be just fine —"

"Like the time I swapped Willa's drink with your juice when you were thirteen?" Cristal wryly suggested. "Because we must have different memories of it, if that's the case."

Emmett scowled. "That wasn't funny."

"It was extremely funny," Cristal replied, smiling for a moment but then shaking her head. "Although I think we have far more pressing matters to discuss."

"Yes, we do," Glynda agreed, delicately adjusting her glasses. "Especially since —"

"Is that a veiled jab at me?" Elizabeth suggested angrily. "You seem to have been making more of them recently, even though the declassification of what transpired at Haven had not even a damn thing to do with me!"

"You knew about it," Emmett snapped, holding Emmeline close defensively. "And, so far as any of us know, you didn't try to stop it either."

"For your information, I did," Elizabeth haughtily replied. "Honestly, what is with you and jumping to conclusions so much?"

"Great…" Glynda muttered under her breath, sharing an exasperated look with James. "Here we go again…"

James gently rested a hand on her shoulder.

"And, frankly, you both owe me," Elizabeth went on. "For so many things but I think, after all these years, you owe me an explanation. So, Emily, why did you think that disobeying my direct orders was a good idea?"

Emmeline paled the small bit she could, her mind swimming. Emmett softly began to whisper to her, trying to soothe her, but she swallowed hard and turned towards Elizabeth, her eyes narrow.

"You don't know, Eliza?" She asked, her voice quiet and menacing. "Truthfully, I wasn't fully thinking. I was...subsumed by emotion and acted...the...it was almost as if there was darkness around me, promising vengeance while everything else about me was helpless to stop it."

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "How were you unconcerned about the price you were going to pay for —"

"In that moment, I had nothing to lose," Emmeline said, her voice shaking. "And my only interest was showing that...that _vile_ woman that she could never win! I wanted what I deserved, I wanted to —"

"Emily," Cristal said kindly. "You don't have to go on."

Elizabeth sighed. "She's right," The Atlesian President conceded. "After all, you've more than proven your blindness over the years. Don't you always seek to mistake vengeance for justice?"

"Elizabeth," James said sharply. "That's too far and you know it."

"You are not my superior, James, and you never have been," Elizabeth replied. "Don't tell me when you think I've overstepped. I can tell that perfectly well on my own."

Glynda sent her a dark look. "We've all been guilty of that mistake at some point and, honestly, we're all allies here."

"Sometimes I find myself questioning whether or not we are," Theodore noted. "But we have a common enemy and we have to do something. Starting with Rosalinde Varna, if I can suggest it."

"What to do with Varna indeed," Elizabeth murmured, casting a suspicious look to Ozpin. "Which raises the question: what made you willing to trust her in the first place?"


	79. The Legacy of Bloodstains

**_October 13th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_2:14 PM_**

"General Ciel, Professor Schnee," Elina March, the administrator for Eddie's year, said, guiding them into the room. "Please, have a seat."

Emmett and Emmeline shared a worried look but calmly sat down on either side of their son regardless. Eddie was slumping back against his chair, one hand tightly around his scroll, and he seemed dejected. Also present were the mandated social worker, the school psychologist, and Eddie's history teacher. The room itself was cold and almost foreboding; it was modern but too much so making everything seem sharp and sterile. Emmeline felt vaguely sick and the headache from the morning had not left her. Eddie tightly took his mother's hand and resisted the urge to curl into her like he had as a child. Emmett gently patted his shoulder and smiled personably at the case mangers. He had enough of them since Eddie had started high school when they had dismissed his son's diagnosis of depression on the grounds of his academic performance being stellar and, after the declassification of the events from Haven half a week before the winter had set in, he had been furious when he had heard about the way seemingly everyone had been treating his son. It upset him every time something else happened; he knew it was damaging to Eddie but it also hurt Emmeline, causing her to all but drown herself in guilt. Forcing himself to remain composed, Emmett merely adjusted his glasses before he spoke.

"I think we can all agree we never wanted things to come to this," He said calmly. "Especially when things had gone so well here for Samara and Lysithea."

Elina frowned. "A lot has changed since your girls finished high school, Professor Schnee. They're ten years older than him, after all."

"True," Emmett agreed. "But they never had their clothes stolen from them in gym —"

"That incident was ruled an accident," The social worker blandly informed him. "An honest mistake by our star quarterback —"

"— Or," Emmett cut in, trying to keep his voice calm. "Had "kick me" signs stuck to them or their things —"

"— Boys do that," Elina said, glancing at her scroll and frustrated by being pulled from her disiplinary meetings. "The ones involved assured us it was all in jest."

"It wasn't," Eddie mumbled, not even caring that his hair was in his face. "And they beat me up when I caught them smoking in the bathroom."

"I attest to that," Jenna Spar, Eddie's history teacher said. "I found him knocked unconscious in the hallway after he hadn't returned to class."

Elina sighed. "We never could identify a culprit, Jenna, hence why the matter was dropped."

"It should not have been," Emmeline said, her voice clipped. "Physical assault is a serious offense, as you ought to well know."

Elina frowned again and restrained herself from demanding to know how serious disobedience to direct orders was. She had never had much respect for Emmeline, even when Lysithea and Samara had been in high school, but she hated her now. In part, Elina privately conceded, that was due to Emmett's (supposedly paranoid) actions and had little to do with Emmeline herself but she couldn't resist. It was too easy to hate them. Yet, holding her tongue and retaining her composure, Elina replied:

"We are well aware, thank you very much."

Emmett glanced anxiously to his wife and took her hand for a brief moment. Her tension was apparent and he could feel the buzz in her energy and their son's.

"If there had been another way, we would have taken it but you've given us no choice," He shook his head ruefully. "I'm sorry, but Eddie is not safe and you either need to take action or prepare yourselves for a court battle."

Suddenly, everyone in the room became immensely uncomfortable. Over two minutes passed in utter silence, with the weight of his words hanging over them. It was a threat but it was just as clear that Emmett Arthur Schnee meant it. Behind his glasses, his pale blue eyes were aflame and his hair seemed to be falling out of his low, messy bun. He was tired, and he was worried.

"Let's not be hasty," The social worker said awkwardly. "I'm sure there must be some way to...fix this situation without going to court."

Elina nodded primly and met Emmett's look with a disdainful stare.

"If that is...how strongly you feel about this," She began slowly. "Then I suppose we can begin a thorough investigation. We can also alert the faculty so that Eddie is...under watch everywhere he goes."

"I don't want to be treated like an invalid!" Eddie snapped, finally losing his temper to the surprise of everyone except for his mother. "I want to be treated like a normal kid! Why is the solution just as bad as the ass kickings?"

"Eddie, sweetie," Emmelinr said gently, setting a comforting hand to his shoulder. "It's okay, calm down."

"How is it okay?" Eddie exclaimed, fighting back tears and forcing himself to look Elina in the eyes. "And why do you have to be forced to try and stop this? Who the _fuck_ are you protecting?"

"Eddie," Emmett said firmly. "I'm upset too but you have to be professional."

Another terse silence befell them before Elina turned to Eddie and smiled.

"I believe your aunt, the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action, has been quoted as saying the kingdom of Atlas has...interests and not allies?" Elina shook her head with a short, dry, laugh. "This is no different, I'm afraid. Almost all of the people who have...attacked you are from families that have donated incredible amounts of money to our programs and, to paraphrase Madame Mar, it is not in our interests to piss them off."

Emmeline and Emmett shared a long look. After a few seconds, she nodded faintly and he spoke, squeezing her shoulder.

"And that is where you're mistaken," Emmett said, menacingly adjusting his glasses. "Because you are sorely underestimating us."

"Are we?" Elina asked innocently.

"Yes," Emmett tersely replied. "And I would recommend you act before this matter becomes any worse. Emmy and I have made mistakes...but that doesn't mean our son should have to suffer for them."

* * *

**_October 19th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:36 PM_**

"I can't believe we're going through with this," Cristal said, pacing nervously across James' office. "And with everything that's happened, this has got to be the worst possible time to —"

"I agree," James said calmly, sharing a knowing look with Glynda. "But the Council made its decision and I doubt Elizabeth wants to try and change their minds. A lot of them are angry enough with her as it is. Last I heard, the senate and the commons were in a frenzy because of everything that's happened. Legislation is being stalled, they've refused to hold any confirmation hearings for the executive offices, and sessions have been disrupted by furious debates and filibusters. I doubt proposing Vale host the Vytal Festival or outright cancelling it would do much good."

Ozpin shook his head. "The Atlas Council is really that opposed to getting anything done?"

Cristal snorted. "I imagine Ronnie could tell us all a thing or two about that."

"Regardless, we have to prepare ourselves for the worst, and that's assuming the Council is useless," Glynda said, crossing her arms with her crop tightly in hand. "But, I'll admit, I've got to wonder what Elizabeth is thinking."

"If you can figure that out, then we're golden," James remarked dryly. "Considering how cagey she's been since she became president."

"Cagey?" Ozpin repeated incredulously. "No, that's an understatement. She's barely given us any warning before any of her actions."

"She's paranoid, Oz," Cristal tiredly reminded him. "And, to be honest, I'm not sure she's trusted us since what happened at Haven."

"The Inner Circle," Glynda quipped. "As she called us, at the time."

"Well, she was never one to play games with pretense," James glanced out the window at the fading daylight. "I wonder if she knows how dangerous this all is."

"Chances are, she does," Cristal said bitterly. "God, how could she possibly think spreading the military thin is a good idea while we've got the Vytal Festival approaching? Even Karissa wants a partial withdrawal, if only because she thinks the hunt for —"

"No one's contesting that," Glynda told her. "I think we should be more concerned about what she isn't telling us than what she's doing publicly. There's only so much information we can gather from the DFAMA, and that information is very different from what I'm sure Elizabeth has access to from her head of security."

"That's another thing I want to know more about," Cristal said, fidgeting with her glasses. "She and Robyn Hill despise each other. Why the hell would she make her the head of security?"

"It was off of Karissa's recommendation," James said, tiredly probing his forehead. "But, beyond that, the decision was inexplicable. You're right. Elizabeth has never liked her, so why would she…"

He trailed off and glanced worriedly to his wife, who sighed.

"Eliza has her faults, but I don't think she'd try to keep an eye on someone through her position," Glynda eventually said. "If that were her aim, then I imagine it would be much more obvious."

"But hasn't she overstepped the bounds of her position before?" Cristal countered. "I don't want it to be the case but James could be onto something. After all, it's not as if we haven't seen her try for...vengeance or whatever this is before."

"When there was the manhunt for your sister?" Ozpin gently asked her, taking her hand tightly in his. "Or with Taurus?"

"Precisely," Cristal said softly. "Although then she was only the chair of the security council."

Heavy silence befell them. It had been apparent from the start that the situation they were involved in was dire at best but now it seemed fraught. It had always been difficult to judge Elizabeth's intentions; since the violence she had faced Ashlynn's hands, she had completely changed. That had been over twenty years prior. Now, she could be kind but she was not merciful and she could be charming but insincere. She was a brilliant politician and she had done so much good for Atlas, but, beyond her husband and daughter, she was willing to step over people to prove a point or to be successful. Tai had an almost saint-like influence on her moods but even he could only tame her so much. It was evident how damaged she was but she would never admit to it. She was so damn afraid of weakness. It was no wonder she had begun to resent them, and it was abundantly clear that Tai was the only reason she hadn't abandoned the group. She had no real desire to keep fighting, especially now that the woman she had wanted killed the most was long since dead. If anything, she was sick of them going nowhere. Yet there was something else that worried them, and it had nothing to do with Elizabeth's secrecy. As it happened, though, it had everything to do with —

"Karissa," Glynda paused for a moment and then quickly reached for her scroll. "There has to be something more to what she knows."

"There always is," Ozpin cautiously reminded her. "We ought to wait this out. It'll do us no good to be in-fighting. The Vytal Festival is a time for unity and peace...and things are already bad enough as it is."

"Oz…" James started in exasperation. "We need all of the information we can get if we're going to have any chance of this happening without incident and to suggest we try to wait this out while neglecting security —"

"I am saying we be cautious," Ozpin said with finality. "We cannot solely rely on Atlesian security, especially when it has critically failed us in the past."

"James is right," Cristal said gently. "So is Glynda. We don't know how serious any threat could be...and the fact we don't see any beyond the Consolate and the leadership in Vacuo...well, it could leave us all the more vulnerable."

* * *

**_October 21st_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:29 PM_**

Her entire life, the Queen of Vacuo had always hated mirrors. She imagined it was tied to the superstitious nature of almost every tradition in Vacuo. From a young age, they were all told of how mirrors possessed

untold powers that were incredibly dangerous and had existed since time immemorial. To break a mirror in Vacuo was even more of a fear than in any of the other kingdoms, and the legends were not kind to those depicted as destroying them. Any number of unknown horrors would be released on the world, so the legends said, viewing mirrors as being just as dangerous as a Pandora's Box. Then there was the fear of unleashing sealed magic. Rosalinde knew full well that was only a myth; she had tried before and had been unsuccessful every time. Yet, though she could not put her finger on why, she wholeheartedly believed in all of the legends. She knew it could be percieved as irrational but what did she have to bother with rationality when she was the beloved Queen? Oh, she still hated the mirrors but her reasons had changed. As a child it had been the tales.

Now, they served as a reminder of the woman who controlled her.

She told herself that Salem had no power over her but it was a pathetic lie even to her own ears. If Salem so wished, she could snap her fingers and Rose would be dead by morning. Shuddering at the thought, she put the notion aside. She, after all, was one of the most powerful people in the world. There was nothing to stop her from accumulating more wealth and prestige. With the Vytal Festival on the horizon, she could not wait to see just him much Atlas was falling apart, if remotely. The woman who had once been a good friend of hers when she had been a member of Ozpin's clandestine little group had placed an astronomical price on her head for war crimes, and Varna wasn't stupid. She knew if she set foot outside of her kingdom that Atlas would snatch her up; they were at war, for about six years now because of the way she had let her provinces run amok. She didn't give a damn about the terrorists her kingdom was harbouring, but she did give a damn about her own neck. Atlas wanted it more than anything and she knew better than to taunt them. If they set their military on her, she would be fucked.

Even she had to concede that they were the "greatest" kingdom and the world's strongest military power, though it pained her to admit it. Swearing under her breath, Rosalinde Varna activated her stolen powers as the Summer Maiden and stared at her reflection in the mirror. The woman who stared back had vibrant yet stormy violet eyes and she looked far younger than her late fifties. Rose snorted. Her people believed she had been blessed by the gods, and that her so-called "immortality" was a result of a divine intervention. They had no idea of the truth, which was far less glamorous and much more blood-stained. At the end of the day, she didn't care. They worshiped her, just about, and the power she wielded was absolute. What did it matter to her? So long as they didn't challenge her, there would be no problems. She had killed so many people in her pursuit and continued to strike down her opposition but she was no longer fazed. At the end of the day, she could do as she pleased and there was no one to stop her. The dissonance brewing within her borders was beneficial to Salem anyways. By no stretch of the imagination had she stepped out of line and she was taking great care to remain that way until fucking high kingdom come.

Although it was true that she once been involved in the struggle against the puppet master, and although it was true she was now (if only by a technicality) a pawn of that puppet master, Rosalinde Varna did not give a damn about who would reign victorious. For as long as it didn't interfere with her power or her control over her kingdom and its resources or her desires, she could not care less for the outcome of the war. That feeling, she knew, had been compounded by the decision Elizabeth Morell had made when it came to revealing everything. Atlas had been in an uproar ever since, and it was becoming more and more apparent that it would continue to be until the Festival. Rose thought the move had been stupid. It was causing more trouble than it was worth, and the fact Morell had pawned off the actual revelations to her head of security, James Ironwood, and Emmeline Ciel suggested, at the very least, deeply rooted fear in Morell. In her own, twisted mind, the Queen of Vacuo found herself amused. Atlas was now consumed by the outset of a power struggle and they were being spread thin by domestic concerns too. They were in no position for a cataclysmic error. None of the major powers were. Atlas, Vale, Mistral, and Vacuo would all be fucked if there were another incident like Mountain Glenn in 2003 or the assassination of President Edward Samuel Ciel in late 2001.

It was at that thought she tossed her hair back and laughed: just before she shot the mirror. She was the most powerful woman in the world; what need did she have for fear and superstition anyways?


	80. All is Dashed Now

**_October 25th_**

**_Government Offices of the Atlesian Council_**

**_Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:47 PM_**

The new reports and data that lay before the Inner Circle on the table were utterly disturbing and none of them truly knew what to make of it. James sighed, knowing that it would complicate the preparations for the Vytal Festival even further. It was a horrible situation to be in at best and the silence in the room suggested only that none of them had any idea how to address it. One of the most dangerous people of the twenty first century was alive after being presumed dead for nearly two decades. It was going to be an embarrassment to the Council at the very least and it was going to kill people at worst. Dr. Arthur Watts had been notorious for human experimentation and his work was so gruesome that some schools didn't even teach it in their history courses once they were studying the present day. Not to mention the fact that he had later been revealed as partially responsible for the assassination of President Edward Samuel Ciel. He was a disgusting person at best, and his ties to the mob only made him more of a threat. Karissa had been so clearly pained to reveal it, too, that Spencer had needed to, in an unprecedented turn, help her regain her composure in light of how taxing it was on her.

With all three of the Ciels present, too, there was a weighty air of power and quite a bit of intrinsic struggle. Ronnie had become lightheaded at the news and almost fell over, although it was clearly worsened by the almost oppressive heat in the room. Atlas was always screwed when buildings (especially federal buildings) needed to turn on the heating systems with the dropping temperatures. He was not the most effected of his siblings, though. Emmeline had damn near a panic attack triggered by some of the images that had been captured by police in the north western town Watts had last been sighted in. She could almost smell smoke, and it felt almost as if she were bleeding from old wounds and could not stop the torrents of memories. Emmett had, for his part, tried to soothe her but even he could only do so much. Spencer, near them, was almost numb. His hands were jammed in his pockets and he had barely said anything the entire meeting but it was clear he too was suffering. The death of their father had been destructive for all of them, and it was clear that, for however much they could move forward, the trauma it had caused was deeply-ridden and nothing if not wholly destructive.

For the rest of them, it was almost as if the world had stopped. Watts' return to the kingdom was not something he could have done on his own, nor was how well he had concealed himself from the authorities for so long despite having been one of the most wanted men in the world. His arrival signaled two things, neither of them good. The first was that he had built up an intricate network of contacts that were helping him evade the law. He had once designed Mantle's security system, albeit in the eighties. By no means was it wasn't illogical to conclude that he had stoked those relationships with time. The second, and far more disturbing indication, was that he could (and likely did) have spies within the Council. By now, many of them would have clawed up into power and that was the notion that terrified Karissa. All of these years, she had prided herself on her ability to manage people and, after she had become the head of the DFAMA, her ability to easily discern their motives. This was a failure on all accounts and she detested herself for it. The schemes she had managed for so long were now at the risk of fraying, and it seemed the kingdom was at immense risk from the inside. It was nothing short of a fucking nightmare.

Glynda was the only one of them who appeared to be clear-headed and she was pacing almost uncontrollably. Her hand kept shaking and tightening around her crop while the other periodically fidgeted with her hair and her glasses. The situation was ugly for all of them and it was worse than she had feared. Emmett looked as if he felt the same way, although he was holding Emmeline close and stroking her hair. James kept glancing to his wife in concern but said nothing, knowing none of them wanted to speak on the matter. Cristal was clearly the most shaken, if only because she knew Watts would come after her if he ever deduced her identity as the Winter Maiden. By her side, Ozpin kept an arm wrapped loosely around her and murmured to her inaudibly to the rest of them. One thing was clear to all of them, though: if anything took a turn for the worst, they would be unlikely of reacting in time. Watts would be prepared, and he probably had more information than they were willing to fear he did. The situation was bad, sick, and fucked up. All they were truly certain of was that they had to do something and whatever decision they made had to come quickly. Otherwise, it would likely be for nothing.

"Well, shit," Spencer said, unexpectedly breaking the silence. "I have to say, though, as far as big class reunions go, this one has to be the worst in history."

"Undeniably," Emmett dryly agreed. "A dangerous, thought to be long dead criminal is at large. What a great surprise just a few months before the Vytal Festival."

"Your sass is not helping," Karissa told him more irritably than she had intended. "And I think we'll all be better off if we come up with a plan to handle this before I file the official report on the matter and things get out of hand."

"Well, if you have any ideas, by all means," Emmett said back. "I'm sure we —"

"Review the channels and determine exactly where the breach was and how it occurred," Glynda said tiredly, surprising them all. "Send some operatives after that and make sure we know what we're dealing with."

"Hmm…" Cristal murmured in thought. "Is it possible we could expedite that process?"

James shook his head. "Not without spreading ourselves thin."

"Which would compromise the mission," Ronnie said with a frown. "No, I don't like this at all."

"None of us do," Ozpin turned to Karissa and nodded respectfully. "Is it possible to do this without the military?"

"The local governments will be overwhelmed and ineffective," Karissa ruefully replied. "I hate to say it, but the sage goes for the local police forces too."

"I want to be involved, directly," Emmeline said suddenly although she did not look up from her hands. "This mission is high stakes, and I —"

"No —" Ronnie and Spencer protested.

"What about —" Cristal started.

"It's too much of a risk —" Glynda said gently.

"Is it safe to —" Ozpin began.

"You're a general and the frontlines here could be even more dangerous than a battlefield —" James reasoned.

"Emmy, after what happened during our last mission —" Emmett said worriedly.

"Karissa," Emmeline pushed in calmly. "Please."

She sighed. "I'm listening."

"Only you and I have this chance to make our wrongs into rights," Emmeline said quietly, briefly meeting her gaze. "And heaven knows I have plenty that I've done wrong."

Karissa hesitated but nonetheless agreed after a broad silence.

"I'll give you your orders soon," She said almost dejectedly. "Just don't let this become...like last time."

Though Emmeline nodded, anxiety was pooling within her and part of her wanted nothing but to puke.

* * *

**_October 31st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:34 PM_**

"...Trust him? With matters of state? Have you lost your fucking —"

Qrow didn't even try to listen to Tai's quick response. He had never known him to disagree with Elizabeth; whether this was because he truly agreed or just loved her to death was a mystery indeed. However, the one thing Qrow knew for certain was that his blood was boiling. From the start, Elizabeth had been skeptical and more paranoid than James or even Emmeline. Qrow usually didn't begrudge her it. He knew of what she had suffered and was sure that, as his semblance affected him, her past haunted her. It was a serious burden she bore, at any rate. Just as well, he knew she had the fate of an entire country in her hands and he was certain that took a toll on her too. Elizabeth's trepidation was rational; if anything, Qrow imagined a psychiatrist would think most of them to be insane for not being as afraid. Yet she still had told the world the truth when she feared more than anything that it would be ignored. She took all of the backlash onto herself and had done her best to, along with her advisors, assuage the fears of the people. Qrow could not deny how her actions took balls and an iron will he often feared he didn't possess. For all her faults, he usually had some admiration for her and everything she had done.

That did not, however, mean he had ever _liked_ her.

She had always been a possessed of a pompous, condescending air and she seemed to enjoy feeling superior. She had been so damn lucky so many times, and it was fucking annoying at best. So many more times, too, she had ignored Ozpin's advice and taken a vastly different approach. Qrow was sure that had been exactly what had happened with regard to the upcoming Vytal Festival in the spring. She was obviously viewing it as a matter of national security and of foreign affairs. All she seemed to want was to play politics, keep her deck to herself, and, in the process, fuck up Ozpin's ability to take action. It was classic for her, Qrow thought, and nothing if not utterly predictable. She was motherfucking Elizabeth Lillian Morell: the former chair of the Atlesian National Security Council and now the fucking president of Atlas. Between her and the executive departments, the infighting legislature, and the gridlocked courts, it didn't seem like Atlas was going to as prepared for a war as they had claimed when all of the information had been released in February. It was fucking unbearable. The freest country in the world, the greatest kingdom, the strongest military power; in short, it was Atlas and it was about to be fucked over.

If he were being completely honest, and, in this case, Qrow knew he definitely wasn't being, he understood why Atlas was acting the way it was. The last several years — hell, the last several months — had seen the shadows and illusions of peace come crashing down. Taking a paranoid approach made sense to him, if he were willing to give them so much credit. On the other hand, even if he weren't so stubborn, and was willing to offer credit where it was due, he had been adamantly against the decision of the legislature to formally declare war on six of the fifteen provinces of Vacuo. He knew it was in response to Varna's betrayal as well as to do with insurrections, terrorists, and, as Atlas always wanted more access to dust, gaining control over mining operations. The fact that Vale had decided to support the efforts only made things worse. Qrow could not even begin to imagine what they could be thinking, but he doubted it was anything good. Truth be told, he was afraid of it. By reacting so strongly, they were leaving themselves vulnerable and he was terrified that what had happened at Beacon almost a decade before would happen again, especially given how astronomically high the price on Varna's head was.

Finally sick of waiting and just listening to them speak, however, Qrow pushed his way into the drawing room. Elizabeth and Tai fell silent the moment they heard the squeak of the doorknob. When they saw who it wasn't though, their reactions were immensely different. Tai smiled nervously and rubbed his neck; his greying blonde hair was out of place and he had a new scar on his left arm from a recent mission that had almost gotten him and Qrow killed. The damn beast that had done it seemed to have come out of nowhere and, every day since, Qrow was more than a little relieved to be still alive. It was almost as if the sound of his heart pounding gave him hope he couldn't dream of having otherwise. Yet, much unlike her husband, Elizabeth stiffened. In the dimly lit room lightened only by the crackling fire, she for once looked her age. It was clear by her face that she was exhausted and her once ink-black hair was more grey than anything else. Also unusual was that her hair was sloppily held up in a messy bun that seemed almost ready to topple over. She faintly scowled at him, clearly jumping up the (albeit correct) conclusion that he had been eavesdropping. He wanted so badly to let her have it, to say everything he hated about her, but he miraculously held back.

"What, pray tell," She began menacingly. "Do you want?"

Qrow snorted. "Unlike basically all of your subordinates, I ain't afraid of you. You're not going to get very far with that kinda tone, either."

Elizabeth let out an irritable sigh. "Must you dance about every question you're ever asked, Qrow?"

"Isn't that your entire career?" He retorted. "I have to say, maybe that explains why you seem to refuse to trust Ozpin."

"Ozpin has been categorically wrong on a number of occasions," Elizabeth replied, evidently angry but her voice was still clipped. "A fact you really would do well to remember."

"What you need to remember is that he trusted you with what we're really up against, and you went and told the entire damn world!" Qrow put up his hands in exasperation and turned to Tai, his closest friend and teammate. "You've got to understand where I'm coming from."

"I do," Tai agreed. "And, honestly, I think we'd get a hell of a lot more done if we could figure out how to handle ourselves."

Elizabeth shook her head. "That isn't our problem," She said softly, sending Qrow a dark look. "Our problem is our secrets...and Oz still has more of them than he will ever admit to. You two may be able to have blind faith...but I need evidence. I always have."

* * *

**_November 1st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:32 PM_**

Something sinister was in the air and it clung to the manor like dew. The ominous clouds above that promised rain, snow, hail, or a mix certainly didn't help. Everything had a desperate edge to it, at least when it came to people. As he made his way through the manor and to the study of his best business partner, Arthur Watts could not believe how much better the place seemed now it was solely in the hands of Jacques. If a divorce had been what it took to cause the kind of rise Watts had seen in the man's power, then it was more than worth it. Besides, he knew Jacques had never loved his wife anyways. He was cynical and a master tactician; it had all been an incredibly well-executed ruse from the start. Still, Watts never would have imagined things would be the way they had become. Early in his career, well before he had become a fugitive, he had been brilliant. A bit mad, perhaps, but were not all of the best minds a bit off? He and Dr. Merlot had both been possessed by a vision of the future but they both had been shit down. It was a damn good thing he had escaped, too, considering that Merlot was still in prison and very much left to rot. Watts smiled to himself for a moment, recalling his escape and later the start of his revenge.

Now, only the two of the three remaining Ciels were on his hit list along with fucking James Ironwood.

Letting himself into the study, where Jacques was sitting behind his desk with a glass of whiskey and his computer, Watts could not help but be amused by the sudden discomfort it caused the man. He was more than a little amused by it and casually sat down in one of the a chairs, waiting for his conspirator to join him. Jacques eventually did so but it was clear he was not as eager to work with him as he had been nearly a decade before. He was in too deep, now, and he hated the sense of being controlled by someone like Watts. They were always trapped in a battle of wits, and, worse so, it would always be Watts who was victorious. He held more power than Jacques would ever be willing to give him credit for and, just as troubling, he was the reason Jacques was on the verge of being elected as a senator. Now more than ever, his career and his entire financial fortune were soaked — no, drenched — in blood. It was so much more than the dust mines, or the PR scandals that were so soon erased, or even with the marketing schemes. This all ran so much deeper and, as he sipped his whiskey in an attempt to cool his thoughts, he understood for the first time why Willow had always found her cure at the bottom of an expensive bottle.

"What makes you think I'm going to bend a knee to you?" Jacques silkily demanded. "Let alone work with you?"

Watts snorted. "Because you are nothing without me and owe me quite a bit, too."

"If anything, you owe me," Jacques replied, losing his facade. "I could turn you over at any second."

"And implícate yourself?" Watts suggested.

Jacques tensed at the thought. "Not… necessarily," He forced out.

Watts snickerd. "Got you. Now…"

"If you think you can manipulate me —" Jacques angrily began.

"I think nothing that isn't true," He replied, clearing his throat before he went on. "As I was saying, Elizabeth Morell thinks her people are safe, even with the manhunt for me," Watts said with a sick laugh. "Come the Festival, they'll realize just how much of a lie her words really are, greatly thanks to your money."

Jacques felt a surge of disdain towards the man rise in him but he still shook his hand and smiled. Renewing their deal would have its benefits, even with the cost he knew it came at. This man had secured his position in the legislature; how could he possibly refuse?


	81. Cataclysmic Error

**_November 3rd_**

**_Government Offices of the Atlesian Council_**

**_Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:34 PM_**

Emmeline Cecilia Ciel slammed her work computer shut and let out an irritable sigh. It was clear to her that most of the new data was just about worthless and slogging through it had taken her hours. She hated herself more than ever for not being useful, she cursed all of the honors the walls of her office reminded her of, and she cursed her fucking title for making her arrogant. It had been an impulsive mistake to send the operatives under her comand all over the country to search for Watts and Karissa had been right. A few local police forces near the capital had spotted Watts a few times but they had never enough time to capture him. The man was notoriously difficult to reign in, as history so aptly reminded them all. The only useful chunk of information that had come back was that Watts used a connection port in a remote town with a burner scroll to sneak into the kingdom through boats and then the woods. He apparently had trekked as far as Mancaster City before had slipped off th grid again. It certainly was troubling that he had managed to breach any of the kingdom's systems but at least the one in question had been one from his era. The new technologies would be untouchable unless he managed to gain direct access into the Council's systems — an act that would require using th credentials of someone with security clearance.

Emmeline briefly laughed dryly to herself. The notion of Arthur Watts convincing anyone with clearance to hand their login credentials to him was, in short, utterly preposterous. His former colleagues — even Jacques of all people — had publicly condemned him. It was stupid to even consider beyond acknowledgement and its absurdity bordered upon hilarity. Arthur Watts may have once been an extremely well connected mastermind but no one in their right mind would dare risk associating themselves with him. The fact that a now very much public manhunt was underway only served to underscore it. If Watts had thought breaking into the kingdom that wanted his head to be a good idea, then he was about to find that leaving it would be much harder and far more of a gamble. It helped, too, the Watts was well into his sixties and couldn't be nearly as adept a fighter as he once had been. It was not reason to relax, but it was reason to believe he would be easy to catch once his exact location — hell, even the city he was in — managed to be discerned. Within a few days of that and laying low to stop him from becoming suspicious, they would nab him and throw him back in jail. He had escaped prison once but no one left maximum security in the Atlesian capital, not alive, at any rate.

Sighing heavily and running a hand through her hair, Emmeline reopened her computer and began to review the data one last time. It was exhausting to see almost the same blurbs over and over about Watts' skill in evasion. It was annoying to read so many email headers that began to applogize for mistakes she shouldn't have made in the first place. Above it all, though, it was utterly frustrating to have taken such swift action and yet have made no sense of progress beyond being reminded of what a pain in the ass the criminal they were after was. For the general, it made her want to scream in agony, wishing that for once a fight she took on would go her way. She had meant what she had told her sister-in-law about wanting this to be the time for them to make their wrongs into rights, but she was beginning to doubt it was possible. She felt shittier and shittier by the minute. Her head was spinning and it ached despite the fact she had taken ibuprofen two hours before. She still kept going, reminding herself it was her duty to do whatever it took to protect the people, but she was slowing and things were getting harder to read as the text swam before her. A few seconds passed and she closed her eyes, wanting the terrible sensation to stop but, when she returned to her work, the situation suddenly became much worse and much harder to control.

A new email had popped into her inbox from the mayor of the capital and the message itself, while brief, was urgent. Attached to the text was a photograph and Emmeline tensed upon opening it. Taken just three hours before, the image showed Arthur Watts in the DFAMA parking lot. The message from Mayor Mills suggested that she had ordered the police after him but it had been to no avail. Emmeline was instantly sickened at the thought but the message from Mills made two things vibrantly clear to her. The first was that, now without a doubt, Arthur Watts had made his way to the capital for some ulterior purpose. The second, and far more terrifying thought, was that Watts' escape implied he had access to a safe house. As an enemy of the state and a recently revealed member of the Dark Queen's faction, Watts was perhaps the most undesirable guest to have in Atlas at the moment. Whomever was harboring him was guilty of treason, as well has, of course, the harboring of a known fugitive. Whatever the case, it was very clear that the situation had become much more dangerous than they had anticipated. Having Watts in the capital was bad enough on its own but for him to have even an unwilling ally was far more worrying.

Emmeline quickly sent out orders withdrawing all of her nationally deployed battalions back to the capital. She then added her conclusions to Mills' email and forwarded it to the heads of the executive departments, the other top generals and admirals, the highest ranking members of the commons and senate, and the president. More security was going to need to become effective immediately and Emmeline knew that if they didn't act soon that Watts would slip through their fingers. After all, they all knew that catching him would be no easy feat; as James had put it, catching the man would be like trying to catch smoke with their bare hands. He could be anywhere in the capital and, unless they could pinpoint his safe house, Emmeline knew they would never be allowed to search the entire city from top to bottom. The people were scared, but they would never allow the kingdom to breach their lives or privacy without warrant. One would have to be issued to so much as storm the safe house even if they found it. By all means, it seemed they were fucked over. Watts was an old foe but he was one they knew too well. His abilities could not be too far underestimated without having grave consequences and what Emmeline was most afraid of was the unspoken knowledge that he would come for all of them but especially her.

Now, more than ever, she knew exactly how her father had felt in the weeks just before his murder and it was enough to make her break down in tears. She didn't leave her office until she was no longer able to cry but, by the time she got home, she was sobbing again with too much washing over her. Emmett held her tightly in his arms, hating the knowledge that there was so little he could do to soothe her in the face of so much more than they had ever thought to bargain for.

* * *

**_November 8th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:21 PM_**

"My father," Weiss Schnee said slowly, her hands slackening around the invitation in disbelief. "Is apparently not only a new senator but engaged."

Elizabeth snorted. "That's rich."

"Not really," Tai countered, wrapping an arm around her. "He has been in a steady relationship with an actress for about two or three years now."

Violet Morell-Xiao Long, home for the weekend from business school, laughed almost hysterically. She completely ignored the dark look Weiss and Ruby sent her, and merely smirked. She knew her sister-in-law and her adopted sister had been out of town for weeks on a mission in Argus dealing with diplomacy. It wasn't Violet's problem, after all, if they were tired, work-weary, and in no mood to take a joke. This shit was too damn funny to pass up. She was more than excited to have been invited to the dinner party Jacques was hosting to celebrate (read: revel in) his victory in the election and his engagement. Not only would it be a great opportunity to schmooze powerful (and wealthy) business leaders, it would be a prime opportunity to get drunk and show them all how fucking funny everything now was. Violet couldn't care less about the dangers lurking in the kingdom or the hells the poor and the faunus were going through. Right now, her main reason for being so damn elated was that she had yet another person she could berate and he was one of the richest men in the world. She ignored everything else around her; the glares, the chiding, the reminders that she was an adult that ought to act like one. She even ignored her uncle, Qrow, when he stepped into the room and looked at her like she was either high or had lost her mind or both.

"The hell happen to her?" Qrow asked, pointing at Violet who had now fallen over laughing. "Because it sure ain't good."

"My father son a senate seat and he's getting remarried to and fifty two year old actress," Weiss bitterly summed up. "Is there anything else you want to know?"

Qrow took a small step back in surprise. "I have to say," He started. "That's not what I thought you'd say but...uhh..good on Jacques for dating someone his own age?"

Tai chortled. "I don't think that's much of a compliment."

Qrow shrugged. "Sure it is. Means he ain't a creepy older man."

"He's an underhanded older man," Violet joked. "Although I bet sex with him is pretty great."

"Vi," Ruby started, looking disgusted and squeezing her wife's tense shoulder affectionately. "No one wants to think about that."

"I do," She replied with a grin. "He has big dick energy, you know? If he had a dating profile on one of those skevy websites, his name would probably be 'wealthybigpenis' or something like that."

"Enough," Elizabeth said, sending her a pointed look. "I have absolutely no desire to hear about my daughter's weird, sexual fantasies."

"I have pretty strange sexual fantasies," Qrow remarked, something which caused Weiss and Ruby to storm out of the room in abject horror. "I like to imagine a woman caring about my feelings and tending to my ego."

"That's unrealistic," Tai jokingl replied. "Just settle for bondage like the rest of us."

"If you're involved, no thanks," Qrow said with an uncomfortable glance towards Elizabeth. "Yep. She definitely doesn't get my motor running."

"You're a whore," Violet remarked.

Qrow winked. "I'll take that as a compliment."

"You should," Violet teasingly replied. "I get the idea you'be slept with a lot of women."

Qrow laughed, genuinely amused for a moment and pleased by Tai and Elizabeth's disgust, but there was something much worse on his tongue.

"I hate to being this up again, but I haven't got a choice with so much going on," He said grimly, jamming his hands into his pockets. "I know you're about to get angry with me again, but I'm trying to hold my temper here and I'm hoping you'll do the same. We're never going to win, you know, if we're always fighting."

Elizabeth pursed her lips. Hmmph."

"That's it?" Qrow looked at her incredulously. "Is that seriously all you have to say for yourself?"

Elizabeth narrowed her gaze, and, when she spoke, her voice was laced with a terrible edge that suggested she wanted to smack him.

"Really?" Elizabeth said irritably. "You want to get into this right now?"

"Wouldn't have brought it up if I didn't," He replied, matching her harrowing stare. "I have more self respect than that?"

"You have self respect?" Elizabeth questioned dryly. "I've never seen it, considering that my daughter is right about you being a whore."

Qrow crossed his arms. "Well, as it happens Madame President, it's rather new."

"I see," Elizabeth said disdainfully. "It doesn't seem like it to me. I wonder how long it will last with your semblance."

Alarmed, Qrow flinched violently and all but jumped back. He knew Elizabeth could be cold, haughty, domineering, and occasionally cruel but she had bounds. It seemed, now, however that she no longer gave a damn and would do anything to prove her own point and assert her own power.

"That's a new low," He said shortly after her caught his breath. "Even for you, Elizabeth."

"A new low?" She repeated. "How is that possibly so when I'm right?"

"Eliza, don't," Tai said, taking her hand. "This isn't worth —"

"Fight, fight, fight!" Violet cheered, looking as if she wanted popcorn to chew on.

"You see," Elizabeth said, standing up and marching over to Qrow with her heels clicking sharply against the floor. "It is my duty to protect my people no matter the cost and to listen to experts that can guide me in matters I am unfamiliar with. My duty does not align with Ozpin's at the present time and I will not stand for you accusing me of being loyaless when I have done everything I can in the interests of my people!"

Qrow glared. "Then it seems our paths are no longer crossed. People like you and Karissa Mar are making me sick. I don't give a damn if you people think Atlas has interests instead of allies. You're making a mistake...and if there's hell to pay all of that blood will be on your hands."

* * *

**_November 12th_**

**_City of Mantle_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:13 PM_**

"Hmm…"

Jacques Schnee was out in town with a woman — shockingly, a woman who was very much in love with him. He admitted to himself that he was beginning to develop feelings for her too, something which had never happened between him and his ex-wife. The pair had been dating for about two years, now, and he had never imagined that he would develop an attachment to another human being. The sensation was almost frightening but he had steeled himself for it as best he could. He still questioned why he had proposed to her but he would never back down. He had been sick of being alone when he had met her, and he was not going to let her go now. His children hated him, his ex-wife probably wanted him dead, and there were so many personal enemies that obviously had it in for him. A single constant would be a good thing, a blessing, even. He was not proud of everything he had done; the trial nearly a decade before had almost destroyed everything. He would not call himself clean but he was better as a man than he had once been and was content with it. Watts was the only problem in the plan but, with Tove, he could set it aside. She knew, of course, but she had remained silent out of devotion. It was that which had opened his eyes. For the first time, Jacques found that he loved someone.

"You seem worried," She noted, stopping him just in front of their car. "What's on your mind?"

"Too many things," He replied. "But I'll ignore it for now."

She gently kissed him and smiled when she pulled away.

He cupped her cheek. "Je'mapple Jacques, and I love you a lot. I've waited for tonight but tomorrow I won't."

She smiled brighter, touched by how softly and fluently he had spoken her native language, If looking a bit awkward about it.

"Je'mapple Tove, I'm prepared for our lives you know," She murmured, her mind racing. "I know it seems strange, but I love you more than anything."

An uncomfortable moment passed between them in silence; neither of them had experienced what they were now feeling. It was a time of trepidation for them both and neither of them had the right words and sounded far more nervous than they would otherwise. It would later prove to be a good thing, however, considering that the private and otherwise encrypted codes from Jacques computer were untraced and about to be used for something far worse than he ever imagined. The man who dangled his life and position in front of him on a string was preparing a test that would cause mass chaos and violence. It was a sadistic move, but what did the man care if it proved to him wha he believed he knew. With such a simple way into the Atlesian government's systems, one that was impossible to trace too, he couldn't resist. It would be the first step in his revenge against Ironwood and his revenge against the Ciels, and it gave him an excuse to enjoy his preparations as ordered to him by the Queen. With a single click on untraceable burner scroll, Arthur Watts unleashed absolute hell on the city of Mantle.

The power to the city cut almost instantly and he machinated for it to be down for a few hours. So little time in analysis but more than enough to cause mass destruction. It was not long before the people began to riot and soon the police were trying to stop the situation. Arson and burglary and all sorts of crimes were committed and, by the time the power returned, so many people were left for dead. The scene was terrible and ugly and no one was thinking straight until the next morning brought the story and its sobering consequences to light. It seemed a mystery what had happened but it quickly became clear that no one knew who to blame. Watts watched everything unfold remotely and he smiled pridefully to himself, knowing the test he had devised was succeeding. He had accounted for it all, it seemed. The people and the police were fighting, the country would be horrified, and he could breach the final barriers in the distraction.

What he hadn't accounted for, however, was that he had been seen by an ex-con who stole his dropped burner as soon as he left. In the time he had, it proved to be just enough for the ex-con and his sword and umbrella-armed wife to trace it all back with some information and fingerprints — which they gladly handed over to the Council in retribution for the hell Watts had once put them through.


	82. New Bloodstains

**_November 13th_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:15 AM_**

It had been less than twelve hours since the power in the city of Mantle had been turned back on and the people had been quick to blame the Morell administration for it. In reality, it had nothing to do with them and yet the matter still would have to be addressed. It was not an attempt to control the poorer cities with Mantle being the first example. It was the work of Arthur Watts, and everyone in the administration knew it. His fingerprints were everywhere and they even had some evidence. Yet the could not tell the people so soon; it would compromise security, and it seemed all too convenient. Elizabeth dressed this address more than she had the one in which she had revealed everything to the people and, just as had been the case then, she didn't really have much of a choice in the matter. People were in danger, and, now more than ever, they needed to know that they were going to be protected. Fear was already running wild in Atlas, and no one needed more. Nevertheless, it was hard to see how angry the press seemed. In the front were several reporters from the city of Mantle itself, and they're eyes narrowed when Elizabeth and her head of security stepped into the room. The guards stepped on either side of the president, who seemed rather unnerved by the situation. She felt tired and desperately needed more coffee but this was not the time.

"As I'm sure you all are already aware, the power in the city of Mantle was temporarily shut off last night," Elizabeth said, calmly addressing the crowd. "While this issue was resolved, the Department of Energy has launched a cooperative investigation alongside the Department of Defense. With that in mind, I'd like to in invite the director of the Department of Energy, Emma Swanson, and the head of the Department of Defense, Admiral Cromley, to speak on the subject."

Robyn tensed but stepped to the side alongside Elizabeth, prepared to defend her if necessary. Swanson and Cromley looked incrediblely asture and the tension in the room was only raised by their presence.

"So far as the Department of Energy can conclude, the system was shut off through an outside breach," Swanson said, adjusting her blazer. "It's clear that the intruder was skilled, but how they managed to breach our security remains a mystery."

Several reporters immediately began to speak and Swanson deftly raised her hand to silence the rising commotion.

"Director Swanson, with all due respect, is it possible that the fugitive, Arthur Watts, was responsible for this?" A young reporter from Mantle said, looking particularly anxious. "Is there any evidence to suggest that possibility?"

Swanson sighed heavily. "I'm afraid we cannot discount that possibility at the present moment."

"Director Swanson is correct," Cromley put in, sounding particularly agitated by the situation. "Watts is a notorious criminal, one well known for being responsible for the creation of the base for the modern securities system in the city of Mantle. While that system has been updated since, it isn't unrealistic to consider he managed to breach past the new system. We seek to capture him as soon as possible, and we will begin a complete overhaul of the security systems across the country to this cannot happen again."

"Admiral Cromley," Another reporter said, standing up almost in shock. "Are you suggesting that, in the time it will take the DoD and the DoE to fix the issue that allowed this to happen in the first place, this could happen again?"

"I'm afraid so," He said ruefully. "We will do everything in our power to prevent another incident like this, but we have no evidence to prove it was in."

"Indeed," Swanson agreed, frowning. "It could have been anyone, given what we know at the present time."

"It should be dually noted that we have already acted to put preliminary precautions in place to protect the city," Robyn said, scanning the crowd for any potential threats to the leaders. "I hope, as a resident of Mantle myself, that nothing like this will happen again but I understand that there isn't anything to be said that will make the situation better."

"Thank you, Miss Hill," Elizabeth said, stepping forward, trying to hide her anxiety towards the events. "Yes, I agree this situation is dire but I want our people to know we are doing everything we can do to rectify our errors. Obviously, we overlooked critical security malfunctions and, in the face of a manhunt for a dangerous criminal, we cannot afford to be so unaware. I understand how many of you must be feeling because, to an extent, I feel it too. The entire country has been shaken and, with so many unknowns, I can't stress enough how important it is for us to unify...and I can only hope we'll be able to deal with this quickly… before anyone else gets hurt."

* * *

**_November 18th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:14 PM_**

To say the tension in the room was palpable would have been a severe understatement at best and, at worse, a misinterpretation so unbelievable that it bordered on lunacy. Weiss held her head low and sat at the table beside her wife, who looked far more worried for her than by the atmosphere of the room. Elizabeth stiffly sat at the other end of the table, and she and Jacques appeared to be in an unending battle of wills. Neither of them had spoken a word to the other and yet it was clear there was much animosity below the surface. Also present were Tove, Cristal, Ozpin, Emmett, Emmeline, James, and Glynda. About an hour before, Caitlin and Samara had unceremoniously left with Winter, who had clearly had more than enough of her father's bullshit. What Jacques had failed to realize, however, was that Winter had snapped on purpose. Her decision had been two-fold; she had never gotten the chance before to be blunt with him and she had agreed to provide Caitlin and Samara good reason to briefly leave. When they had arrived, Jacques' scroll had been precariously in his back pocket. Samara had delicately removed it and Caitlin had crashed into a waiter (clumsily and perhaps truly on accident) to cause enough distraction for the theft to go unnoticed. The couple had long since sought the contents of his scroll, and now the had it. The trouble was, they were realizing it was much more dangerous than anyone had bargained for.

In the room, however, it seemed no one was particularly eager to breach the silence. They were still only having drinks, but the small talk that did continue only seemed to raise the tension. Ruby and Weiss in particular hated the scene; given half the chance, they too wanted to leave. Cristal and Jacques spoke only in short, cordial exchanges that bordered on being spats. Elizabeth seemed unnerved by how pleased Jacques had appeared upon her formally congratulating him on his victory and new status as a senator. Tove had been the only one who had seemed sincere with him, and it was clear that even she seemed to wish he weren't a politician. For Weiss, what she couldn't believe was how happy her father's fiancé seemed to be. It was clear they were very much in love and a part of her was angry — deeply angry — for having been denied that in her childhood. She felt terrible for her mother, too, knowing just how much her marriage had stolen and drained from her. It hurt even know to look at him and acknowledge that he was her father. Ruby took her hand under the table, a small gesture that, for Weiss, meant the world. She could not imagine life without Ruby by her side, and she was more than proud to be able to be her wife.

When the doors suddenly opened, they all tensed but were able to relax a little when they saw it was only Whitley. He nervously entered the room and joined them, if looking somewhat unsure. Weiss couldn't believe how much older her brother had gotten, but he seemed almost as scared by their father as he had when they'd been children. He managed to be amicable, and even Elizabeth seemed mildly charmed. Still, the heavy air in the room had not lifted and all of them could feel it. Emmeline had barely spoken a word, yet she had four glasses of wine already and was leaning heavily against Emmett, who sat next to her and held her close. He hadn't spoken much either. Glynda kept fidgeting with her scarf and glasses, every so often sipping her wine in an attempt to calm her nerves. She and James knew as well as Emmett and Emmeline that something was wrong, even if they couldn't quite place a finger on it. Ozpin kept looking worriedly to Cristal, knowing how much the manor brought back some of the less than pleasant memories from her childhood and the guilt she carried since she had met with her true father. It was awful, and the walls seemed to all but echo their thoughts while they spoke so frivolously in the wake of something much more —

"Hmm?" Weiss raised an eyebrow upon seeing her scroll light up with a message supposedly from her father. When she opened it, however, she dropped her scroll onto the table in shock. "You wouldn't have."

Jacques turned sharply towards her. "I beg your pardon?"

Weiss projected the holographic image from her scroll, which displayed a screenshot of Jacques' own communications with the most wanted man in the nation. Immediately, he began to scramble for his scroll only to realize that he was in fact gone.

"I...I can explain —" He started.

"Looks like you lost something," Caitlin said dryly, sauntering back into the room with Samara and tossing his scroll at him. "You know, I had expected to find evidence of money laundering on there, not of high treason."

Jacques spluttered. "That is unreasonable search and seizure!"

"I had a warrant," She smoothly replied, stunning everyone in the room. "But it turns out I was right about more than one thing. You'll sell your soul to the devil himself on the off chance that you —"

"How on earth did you manage to get his scroll?" James asked her, bewildered and deeply unsettled by the man in question. "I —"

"Sam," Whitley shook his head. "You've got spark, I'll give you that."

"Yes, that's wonderful but there's a much bigger issue here," Weiss turned to her father with a stone cold look. "I believe you're under arrest."

Emmett raised an eyebrow and nervously pushed up his glasses. "Can she do that?"

"Yes," Cristal said tiredly. "Code 109-67545, section —"

"This isn't a matter of 109-67545 section b," Emmeline cut across. "This is a matter of high treason, a crime which is not lightly pressed."

"Agreed," James said, turning on Jacques. "I know you've stopped at nothing to get what you want, but did you ever consider the consequences for all of us in this?"

"Well, I…"'Jacques looked rather uncomfortable, and Tove hung her head in shame, having been involved as well. "It may have crossed my mind...if however briefly."

"Madame President!" Robyn Hill burst through the door, wheezing. "The power in Mantle shut off again, and —"

"Have the police deal with it, we'll send support as soon as possible," Elizabeth ordered. "I'm afraid we may very well have captured the accomplices in that scheme."

Robyn stared at them all in horror, her gaze narrowing when it met Jacques, but she quickly left to execute her orders, praying Winter would still be downstairs to help.

"Congratulations," Glynda said dryly, glaring harshly at the man in custody. "It seems you've invented a new type of stupid."

* * *

**_November 21st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:36 PM_**

"He is, for intents and purposes, a traitor now," Cristal Schnee said, looking worriedly to Ozpin. "And to think we thought he was getting better."

"You still gotta hand it to him," Qrow said dryly. "He's a piece of shit, but he knew what he was doing up until the very end, although I still don't know how Caitlin Ironwood got her hands on his scroll."

"Samara helped," Cristal reminded him. "I'm not surprised they managed it, between the two of them. What's more unbelievable is that Weiss put her father under arrest when they revealed it."

"They're ingenuitve, to say the least," Ozpin said, leaning on his cane. "A prosecutor and a huntress...they are quite a formidable couple, aren't they?"

"You could say that," Qrow said mildly. "But I don't understand how they broke into his scroll. It was password protected, not to mention —"

"There are certain tools that prosecutors, in the course of an investigation, are permitted to use to access data," Cristal calmly explained, albeit fidgeting with her glasses. "I imagine she simply used one of those tools and, since she works in the private sector, it probably wasn't hard for her to have given her boss a reason to grant her that for a case she could have been building regarding Jacques. They'll never let her prosecute him because it's too close a familial connection even if only by marriage, but it's more than plausible that she was an investigator. It's not as if the man's business deals have gotten more ethical since he got off eight years ago. Truth be told, though, this is far more serious."

"Especially given that everyone knows about Salem," Qrow shook his head. "Damn it, he was a rat right under our feet, wasn't he?"

"Doesn't matter too much now," Cristal countered. "He's going to end up behind bars either way."

"He should have been a long time ago, given what he did to my wife," Qrow paused for a moment to get control of himself and, in a stroke of luck, he did just before Winter slipped into the room, looking thoroughly exhausted. "Hey, Win. How'd work treat ya?"

She sighed. "Well enough, all things considered. It sounds like Morell is pretty ticked about the situation with my father…but General Ironwood doesn't see anything for me to worry about."

Qrow scoffed. "I know he's already paranoid, but sometimes I think he doesn't worry enough. I could say that about his whole family, actually."

"Please don't start," Winter said, pushing her bangs away from her face. "There's enough going on without you picking a fight and making things worse."

"I don't make things worse by picking fights on a whim!" Qrow protested. "Do I?"

Cristal and Ozpin exchanged a look that briefly suggested he was a raving lunatic and definitely suggested that he was wrong.

"Isn't that why you and Emmett don't get along?" Cristal innocently reminded him. "Or did my brother beat the shit out of your car because he got bored and drunk?"

"I sure hope not," Qrow said, getting a small laugh from Winter. "See? My wife thinks you're being ridiculous."

"And she's more than free to," Cristal said with a faint smirk. "Doesn't mean my point is wrong. It just means she's too tired to remind you that she gives a damn about things like sanity."

"Now, now," Ozpin said, taking her hand. "I'm sure after all this time we know how to act like the adults we are"

"Considering that Chrissy and I aren't trying to tear each other's throats our on a daily basis, I would say we've made progress."

Cristal winked. "Yes, and I'm sure your body appreciates it."

Qrow affected a theatrical bow. "Yes, yes," He said. "Thank you, thank you very much."

Winter playfully swatted his arm. "Don't tell me you're turning into Elvis Presley."

"Eh," He said, slicking back his hair. "I'm not big on tassels or those body suits. Besides, I'm pretty sure no one is ever going to think that my pelvis is too sexy for television."

Cristal rolled her eyes. "You'll be lucky if any part of you is ever considered too sexy for television."

"You are not wrong," He agreed, pulling out his flask, taking a swig, and then offering some to his wife. "Want some, Win?"

Winter shook her head, grimacing.

"Truthfully," She eventually said. "I think it even smells revolting. I don't have a clue how you drink it. Smells like too many different types of liquor mixed with old coffee."

Cristal recoiled at the thought. "Ew."

"You aren't they far off the mark," Qrow said, affectionately kissing Winter's cheek. "It's vodka, coffee, and, since it's that time of year again, eggnog."

"An unusual combination," Ozpin remarked, almost as disgusted as his wife. "But I suppose there's something to be said for your...holiday spirit."

Cristal scoffed. "If you can really call it that."

"I'm with my aunt on this one," Winter agreed, sending her husband a strange look. "I really don't know how you can drink that stuff, and I've seen my mother drink vodka straight."

"Yeah, yeah," Qrow said, waving a hand. "I'm not sure you understand how exquisite this blend is."

Ozpin laughed. "You sound like Emmett describing tea."

Qrow shrugged. "Bet he wouldn't be too happy to hear that."

"No, he wouldn't," Winter agreed.

"True, which is why I'm going to tell him," Cristal remarked, quickly texting her brother with a smile and then a sigh. "I can't believe we're so light hearted, even for a moment. Really makes this all worse, doesn't it?"

Ozpin nodded grimly. "All we can hope for is that this is, for once, the worst of it."


	83. Let Me Know

**_December 1st_**

**_Security Level: Maximum_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:14 AM_**

Per usual, Robyn Hill stepped into her office with a steaming cup of herbal tea, sat down at her desk, opened her computer, and cursed. She cursed Arthur Watts for getting the best of the Council and of her own updates to the security systems over the years. She cursed Jacques Schnee for costing her a seat on the Council in the first place. Hell, she cursed him for being an arrogant piece of shit, for selling out, for being engaged, for wearing clip on ties of all things and, above all else, she cursed him for trying to use a dangerous criminal to win his seat in the senate rather than earning it. If she were being completely honest (or fair), she would have had a lot more respect for the man if he had just used his (almost stupidly substantial) personal wealth to buy his way into the senate just like any other billionaire. No, Jacques Schnee was not someone she'd ever had much respect for and he had gone and blown up his entire image and reputation in one fell swoop. Even now, with him in prison awaiting trial and the power to Mantle restored again, there was no telling when Watts could find himself in the mood to fuck over an already poor city. He was waiting for the seemingly perfect time to strike again (now that he knew he could) like the asshole he was.

Robyn was as stumped as anyone when it came to finding away to lock him out permanently. It irritated her to absolutely no end and she needed to figure out something for the sake of the country and the residents of the city she had grown up in. She knew, of course, that many of those people hated her. Since her Happy Huntresses has disbanded a year before, people had been murmuring more and more about how Robyn had sold out to the Morell Administration and had far loftier goals than helping the people she had once called friends. Truthfully, their disbandment had nothing to do with the Morell Administration; simply put, they could no longer justify attempting to publicize (read: via stealing) classified information and they couldn't find a cohesive way to reconcile the differences that had arisen between them. Robyn personally thought she had been quite lucky to be the recipient of such a prestigious job offer from Elizabeth herself. She and the president often disagreed but, nevertheless, it was clear that Elizabeth truly valued her advice and took heed of it when pressed for decisions. Still, Robyn would never admit that she suspected Karissa Mar had influenced Morell's decision to hire her as the head of presidential security and the thought unnerved her.

She and Karissa had a difficult professional relationship at best, and they had never really liked each other. Robyn thought Karissa was cynical, near-sighted, and a little vengeful. Karissa thought Robyn was, at best, a bit radical and, at worst, a revolutionary. Suffice to say, they didn't have a positive view of each other at all. To some extent, Robyn respected the head of the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action for her dedication and, of course, because she had always been something of Elizabeth right hand. On the other end, Robyn suspected that Karissa was much more cunning than she let on and she believed the woman was always scheming and looking for more cards for her sleeve. Shaking her head, Robyn cast aside her thoughts and opened her email. The information she had received wasn't substantially different from any of the previous reports and she feared the kingdom was heading for the worst. They had a sense of where Watts was, and yet he was still quite elusive. People on the inside were clearly manipulating things for him and, while it seemed Jacques was the only rat, they weren't sure if anybody else was implicated in the scandal. At the very least, it was a fucking nightmare.

Essentially, they had three options. One was to let Watts reveal himself and let seasoned military officials subdue him. The second was to re-enter a lockdown similar to the one from when Beacon had fallen ten years prior. Finally, the third and least appealing option would be to declare martial law. Only the president or an override from DFAMA officials could initiate such a drastic course of action but it didn't seem they could avoid the possibility much longer. At the end of the day, Atlas had declared martial law for much less (to deal with the freedom riders seeking to end segregation between the faunus and humans during the sixties or to stop the riots and gang violence in the eighties). The only truly comparable event was Sassler's declaration of martial law during her presidency after the assassination or President E. S. Ciel and that, too, had to deal with terrorism. The difference, simply, was that (nearly thirty years before) the threat had been foreign and, now, it was very much domestic. It would be an absolute nightmare to do, but it was possible the situation would leave them without any other viable options. That was the thought that truly scared Robyn. She had seen so much over the years, but she had never thought she would be at the forefront of a decision like this that would have vast and reverberating consequences.

"Good, you're here."

Robyn looked up suddenly only to find Emmeline Ciel standing in the doorway, her black and white locks tied up neatly at the base of her neck. Robyn tiredly motioned her to come in, and the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council quickly sat down before her desk.

"I've managed to identify a relatively stable pattern of entry to the Council's data by Watts," Emmeline informed her. "However, it's more than clear he's using a burner."

Robyn frowned. "That complicates the matter."

"Yes, it does," Emmeline agreed darkly. "But the facts stand. Also, you should know that President Morell wants to finalize her decision on this matter today."

"Of course she does," Robyn swore under her breath. "General Ciel, do we really not have any new leads?"

"I'm afraid not," Emmeline sighed. "All we know for certain is that he hasn't left the city and he bypassed the security systems using an extracted version of Jacques' credentials, thus creating his own form of a superceding code that we've been unable to pin an IP address for."

"I'm sure the security council will have more to add, but I'm forwarding the three most viable options I see to Morell either way," Robyn said, taking a sip of her tea. "I just hope this isn't going to be the catalyst for another set of attacks like in 2001."

Emmeline nodded, a little light-headed at the thought.

"We all do," She said softly. "Otherwise we'll all be damned."

"That feels like an understatement," Robyn muttered. "But you may very well be right and that is what terrifies me."

"If it terrifies you, then just do something about it," Emmeline replied. "You aren't powerless in this. Far from it, actually."

Robyn raised an eyebrow. "Are you suggesting I act like you? With all due respect, you're reckless. Isn't that how your hair got like that?"

Emmeline stared down at her hands and fidgeted with her wedding ring.

"Well, yes," She softly admitted. "But —"

"Your mistakes don't outweigh all you've contributed or sacrificed, they really don't even with what people say," Robyn said a bit harsher than she had meant to. "But, at the end of the day, I don't want to be like you."

* * *

**_December 6th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:33 AM_**

In many ways, the west end federal prison in the city of Atlas (where many, many wealthy people were awaiting trial for anything from grand larceny to, now, high treason) was like a fancy ass hotel where the inmates had to wear ankle monitors. Unlike in most prisons in Atlas (and certainly nothing like the infamous prison where they kept all the terrorists), the detainees were permitted to wear their own clothes, have fine meals, and private bathrooms with guards by each cell. It wasn't at all like the average prison in the country, actually, considering that there weren't really any prison gangs and the guards were all highly trained police officers that were armed to the teeth. That wasn't to say all Atlesian prisons were like hell on Earth with a shit ton of violence and degradation, but it was certainly closer to being a five star hote than a prison. The inmates were even permitted to have visits in a common room without plexiglass, provided they were non-violent, hence why Weiss, Winter, and Whitley Schnee had dragged themselves (and, in the case of Weiss and Winter) and their spouses downtown to confront their father. It was a bit jarring to see him surrounded by people he would never associate with of his own volition, but they tried to appear normal as they sat down on the couch across from him.

Despite the fact he was being detained under such heavy charges, Jacques seemed about the same. The only difference was that he was completely shaven and his suit seemed much dustier then he would have ordinarily allowed it. By his side sat his accomplice and fiancée, Tove, who was in about the same haggard state. Her eyes seemed particularly dull, and her skin was almost sallow. Jacques didn't seem too fond to lay eyes on any of his children, although he supposed it was better than his ex-wife's drunken taunting over the phone the night before. In the room, also, were the guards and Jacques' long time defense lawyer. No one looked thrilled by the situation. Bronson, Jacques' lawyer, seemed ill at ease and they all knew it was because he couldn't even begin to imagine how he would argue the case. He was grateful that it was the federal government they would be facing rather than a private firm but that also meant the lead prosecutor would be none other than Kiara Davis. He and Jacques feared her, as did the rest of the defense team. After all, Kiara had almost gotten Jacques locked up nearly a decade prior for business malpractice (amongst the many other charges) and she had dedicated her entire career to putting away criminals until the rapture.

Across from them, however, the feeling of unease was very much mutual. Qrow couldn't stop fidgeting with his free hand (the other was occupied in keeping his other arm secure around his wife) and his hair was becoming a damn mess because of it. He hated everything Jacques had done to her, and he was quick to admit it. His father in law was nothing short of an egotistical ass hat and Qrow couldn't believe how well off the man was even in prison. He was considered too much of a flight risk to be kept in the manor, and Qrow fully believed he would bolt the first chance he got. So far as he could tell, Jacques had no sense of dignity, honor, or respect for his family and it completely disgusted him. Winter, by his side, felt just as badly about the situation. Just being in the room with him made her feel as weak as she had when she had been a little girl and the feeling was absolute torture. She had risen so far above her family name to prove to everyone and herself that she was brave and it seemed to amount to nothing now. Her father's icy stare still possessed its withering ability and it destroyed her. She wanted to yell at him the way she had at the party, to finish telling him how he couldn't just buy his way out of everything and that he was now confronted with that truth. She couldn't, though, and merely glanced to her siblings, hoping they were better off.

As it happened, Weiss was only feeling calmer than her sister because Ruby had always been able to relax her. Now, their hands were tightly intertwined and she could ignore the power Jacques had once held over her. He no longer could do a damn thing to her, and she was free to live her life as she saw fit. She had come a long way since her youth, and she couldn't help but be proud of herself for it. Of course, she had a million different questions for her father but they all did. While Cate's damning of him had been deliberate and clear (she and Samara were quite cunning), she and her wife had only been able to glean so much. For Weiss, that was the terrifying part. Her father had gotten out of crimes before and she doubted he wouldn't manage it again. It was a point of contention between her and Ruby, as it happened. Ruby was more than convinced that Jacques would be prosecuted and sentenced to life in prison for his crimes. He had, by all accounts, committed what was looking to be high treason and none of them could deny it. For all the money he had, Ruby did not believe it would sway the decision in his favor. His years of power and influence had very much reached their culmination, and there was nothing he could do about it. The facts were facts.

Surprisingly, however, the one in the room who feared Jacques the most was also the most silent and always had been. He had always acted under a facade of being the perfect son, but Whitley Schnee knew better than anyone that he was a fraud. He couldn't bring himself to trust anyone other than his mother (and many women insisted he had an unhealthy attachment to her) and he had been the favored child in their home growing up. He was saddled with guilt, and he despised how cruel he had been to both of his sisters in the name of protecting himself. He was ashamed more than anything and being face to face with their father after so much had been revealed only made things exponentially worse. This was the very same man who had stripped them of their childhoods, who had beaten all of them in anger to varying degrees and, if Emmett was right, was only a few hairs better than Nicholas had been. It pained all of them to consider just how fucked up the Schnee family had become, but they had to acknowledge it someday. It wasn't going to do them any good to continue living a lie, and Whitley suspected his sisters knew it too. They had always been so close and able to rely on each other. At the end of the day, growing up, he had been completely alone and left out to dry. Theirs wasn't truly a family; at best, they were a fucked up collection of blood relatives soaked in blood money.

"I've gotta say," Qrow started, being the first of them to pluck up some courage. "For as awful as you are, I never thought you would end up in prison...but I bet they're right to assume you're a flight risk. You'd escape with your lover all the way to Vacuo, wouldn't ya?"

Jacques simply sent him a disdainful look but Tove, feeling rather indignant, decided it was worth rising to his baiting.

"We were backed into a corner, something I doubt you can understand or even have a shred of sympathy for," She said dangerously. "Honestly, you act as if you're a paragon of virtue and glory when you're no better than the rest of us, even if you're not a criminal."

Qrow snorted. "You two are much more than just criminals."

Winter sharply elbowed him, praying he wouldn't say something she would feel the need to walk back out of fear.

"For once, he's right," Weiss agreed, much to the surprise of everyone. "The two of you committed the worst crime there is and that's without mentioning that people have probably died because of what you two did."

"Is that any way —" Jacques began angrily.

"Yes, it is," Whitley timidly put in. "I never imagined...despite everything, I idolized you for years and now…"

Jacques stared at his son incredulously. Of all of his children, he had expected at least Whitley to try and see the best in him. The fact he didn't was jarring, if only because this was the first time he could remember it happening.

"I think Glynda was right," Whitley nervously went on, forcing himself to meet his father's narrowing gaze. "You have invented a new kind of stupid, and it's the kind where the damage is so great that you cannot possibly hope to undo it."

Jacques stiffened. "I never imagined you could side with an Ironwood."

"Congratulations," Winter said dryly, echoing Glynda's words from the night of the event. "I suppose you deserve at least that."

Weiss shook her head. "He's lucky that Whit talked us all into seeing him."

"Speaking of which," Tove said before her soon to be stepdaughter's words could be elaborated on. "We have decided how to handle this case, and, I should be clear only because you're family, you all ought to know before the general public."

Jacques nodded shortly, looking almost nauseated at the thought of what he was going to say. He had never believed in admitting when one was wrong, let alone at the expense of their livelihood but there was simply no way to return to how things were. Even more terrifying was the notion that, if things went badly, Watts would come after him and Tove with murder on his mind.

"I have already resigned my position and the company and given it and all its assets to Whitley," He finally said with a heavy sigh. "And, so much as it pains me to admit, there is no way to remedy this situation. Tove and I are agreeing to cooperate with the federal government under the pretense of receiving lavish treatment and the understanding that we will be behind bars for life."

Qrow laughed. "Is that some kind of twisted joke?"

Jacques shook his head, for once looking genuinely rueful.

"I've done nothing wrong except for preserve myself over the interests of the federal government," He said shortly. "And, now, I can see that this is the only option I have left apart from skewering Watts myself."

Winter snorted. "I'd pay to see that, although I said the same thing about the day I'd see you take a plea bargain."

Jacques said nothing in reply, but his silence spoke volumes and suggested he knew far more than he was letting on. Something had been set into motion, and it was going to rain down hell when it reached them.


	84. One Opportunity

**_December 14th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:45 PM_**

The night air was chilly, and it clung to everything and everyone like a frosty spider's web. That, however, did not stop the people of the city of Atlas from enjoying their Saturday night. Even from in the streets, the sounds of the clubs could be heard. Music pumped through the air, the cars in the streets kept a certain hum to them, and the incessant wails of police sirens in the distance had become so common place that nobody was dazed by it anymore. There was still a lingering fear of Arthur Watts among the people, but, evidently, it wasn't enough to ward people off from the streets. Morell had set an almost astronomical price on the man's head (his capture was now worth almost as much as Varna's) and many civilians had taken that as an opportunity to try and get rich quick, even though they all knew the man would probably be captured by the police, military, or hunters. Still, it was a promising bounty although Roman Torchwick of all people had gone on television to advise against going after someone like Watts. Unusual as it was for a former crime boss like Torchwick to give such advice, the nation was far more transfixed on the most shocking news of the week: Jacques Schnee and Tove Skylark accepting the plea deal offered to them by the Department of Criminal, Civil, and Corporate Prosecution.

Of all the people who would accept a plea bargain, no one had thought it possible to be Jacques Schnee and his equally wealthy fiancée. Accepting the plea bargain was quite literally accepting guilt and it admitted to the entire world that they had been involved in bringing one of the most dangerous men alive into Atlas. It only made things worse that they had given Watts cover and an initial entry into the government's data. Indeed, the media was stunned. As viewed logically, it wasn't too much of a surprise that they had chosen to avoid a messy court case (especially since no one believed it was possible they could have won). Moreover, it gave them one last chance to preserve whatever semblance of a legacy they saw fit to present. It was clear that Tove Skylark had completely destroyed her fame on the silver screen; no longer would she be remembered as a gorgeously talented actress but as a traitor. Jacques, by all accounts, however, was much worse off. In the decades since Nicholas had died, everyone had come to learn how awful he had been to his family and his business practices were the only shiny part of his memory, even more now that the world finally knew just how sleezy Jacques was. In any other circumstances, his sister (who everyone knew was completely off her rocker) taunting him publicly would be brushed off as the ravings of a mad woman. With this new light, people were starting to find her comical.

Still, the country was at least lucky to be able to continue living the lives everyone knew. It was undeniable that the hunt for Watts could become much more intense in a matter of seconds, but no one thought much of it. After all, for everyone except those with power and the people of the city of Mantle, his presence was not much of an intrusion on their lives. If anything, it was business as usual. A dangerous criminal on the loose could almost be considered old news in Atlas. There were plenty of crazies that ran around, and the public was just about apathetic to every new mass shooting (even schools weren't safe, especially the further one got from the economic hubs) and every new tragedy. They were used to the legislature struggling to do a damn thing out of pride and polarization. Hell, they were even used to constantly being at war, especially the citizens born in or after 2001. No one denied that it was a damn shame and reflected poorly on all of them, but most people just wanted to move on with their lives and not dwell on the world around them if they could help. That had been especially true after the revelations by the Morell Administration, considering that it had fundamentally altered the way almost everyone thought about their own lives and the future of the country.

So, as time flowed on into the night and the bitter air nipped at all it could, everyone simply tried to live their own lives without being to focused on all they had to fear. There was plenty to do, and no one wanted to be trodden by the terrible realities they were all being confronted by, at least to some extent. On this particular evening, that had been the philosophy of a certain Atlas Academy history professor notorious for his glasses, love of coffee, and long white hair. Since Emmeline had gotten home, Emmett had been doing his best to convince her to go out with him for the evening. He reminded her that Eddie was sixteen and more than capable of spending a few hours alone. He mentioned how they had the next day off because of the snap election for Jacques' senate seat. He even went so far as to be (almost weirdly) flirtatious. Emmeline had relented when he had (rather precociously) started twisting his hair in his hands. Eddie had been more than thrilled (there were a few R rated movies he desperately wanted to watch that he knew he parents would not approve of). Almost as soon as Emmeline had agreed, Eddie had cheered, something which had made both of his parents more than a little suspicious. Still, she brushed it off and slipped up stairs to get dressed and fix her makeup before Emmett got antsy. Soon enough, they had been out the door and heading to their favorite restaurant for a nice dinner before spending some to time walking around the city.

Albeit cold, the skies were clear and there plenty of stars to be seen even with the copious amounts of light pollution. In the streets, Emmett had an arm wrapped loosely around his wife and his free hand tightly over his sword. Under her coat, she kept her hand gun, knowing they were both high profile enough to need to take reasonable precautions when it came to the situation they were in. Nevertheless, they weren't too worried and were more relieved to be able to have a night alone together. It had been too long since they had last gone out, and Emmett knew just by how nervous Emmeline had been that her work was getting to her. He wasn't sure if Karissa tasking her with being so heavily involved in the ordeal with Watts was a good thing, but it couldn't be helped and she had chosen it. What worried him most was the way it was (amongst other things, read: Eddie's classmates and teachers) causing the pain from Haven to resurface. Everything about that night was tied directly to the pain she had felt when her father had been murdered in the 2001 attacks, and the guilt she felt for what she had done only made things worse. Her hair, even, had become a reminder although Emmett blamed Robyn Hill personally for commenting on it and he blamed Raven for causing it in the first place. He was growing tired everyone taking shots at his wife, and the argument he had with Robyn was more than enough proof of it.

No one was deluded into thinking that Robyn and Emmett were close friends. Everyone in the administration knew they were far from it and always had been. Their cool, professional distance was nothing more than a front and it never had been. The two of them hated each other more than Elizabeth hated Ozpin, and it was tough to beat her in the ability to hold a grudge. Truthfully, Emmeline had hoped Emmett wouldn't find out about the comment Robyn had made on the state of her hair being correlated with her temper. It had been shitty luck and a necessary update to a report that had ended in Robyn (in her complete exasperation with the matter at hand) losing her temper. It wasn't much of a surprise that Emmett had been pissed; he had always been defensive and protective of his wife, and that had only grown stronger over the years. The turn of events had been bad enough and Emmeline was just glad it hadn't come up again during dinner. Lately, she had found herself wanting to hide from her mistakes more and more and, while their marriage counsellor prodded her into talking about things she would never get into otherwise, Emmett knew she was struggling because of it. She hated that she was causing him pain, but she didn't know what to do. All she could hope for was that catching Watts would, at least, end some of the madness.

"You alright?"

Emmeline startled briefly but quickly shook herself out.

"I'm fine," She told him, nuzzling a little closer while they walked. "Although I've never been more relieved that you're always warm."

Emmett pressed a soft kiss to her forehead, holding her close. If he could do anything to soothe her, he would.

"I'm glad," He said with a smile. "Because I think I'd be cold if I had to gallantly give you my trench coat."

Emmeline rolled her eyes. "You're almost disturbingly attached to that thing, aren't you?"

Emmett shrugged. "Depends on the definition of disturbing."

"If my brother thinks it's strange, it is," She replied. "Spencer, of course. Ronnie thinks everything is strange."

Emmett smirked. "Including me."

"Hasn't he always thought that?" Emmeline teased. "Ronnie hasn't ever been one for subtlety."

"True," Emmett agreed. "But, with Spencer, he's been wrong. My racoon hat —"

"Not that hat," Emmeline groaned. "I still don't know why you made yourself a trapper hat, but it was —"

"Fashionable!" He protested.

Emmeline shook her head. "Absolutely not. What it was was gross. If it's strange and in an alleyway, you shouldn't touch it and yet you thought it would be a good idea to do that. What if it had been diseased?"

Emmett shuddered at the thought. "No need to scare me years after the fact."

"You do realize I was worried because, of course, I love you and because I was pregnant, right?" Emmeline laughed a little upon him apologetically kissing her cheek. "Emmett! Can you be serious?"

"I can," He said, grinning. "I choose not to."

"Of course you do," Emmeline said, nuzzling his neck. "It's one of the things, I'm sure, my brothers relentlessly tease you for."

"Ronnie doesn't tease, he just thinks I'm crazy," Emmett countered. "As for Spencer, I'm pretty sure he's just happy to be taller than me."

"It's not much of an accomplishment," She agreed. "We aren't a very tall couple."

"Sure," Emmett said with a shrug. "At least you're taller than my sister."

"Everyone is taller than Cristal," Emmeline reminded him. "Even she's said as much."

"At least she knows it," Emmett said, pausing for a moment to tightly embrace her. "I love you so much, Emmy, I really do."

Emmeline smiled. "I know you — Emmett, honey...is someone…"

He quickly turned around and squinted at the dark alleyway, tensing upon seeing a moving, indescribable figure.

"Who's there?" Emmett called out, reaching for his sword. "What are you —"

It was then, glinting silver, that a gunshot fired at them. Whoever it was obviously hated attention being called to their presence even by the simple question. Then, another shot skidded past then but this time it was much closer. Suddenly, it was clear they were being targeted. Adrenaline kicked in before anything else; it seemed only to be about the couple helping each other survive. Emmett quickly pulled his sword out of its sheath and shielded himself with his aura, giving Emmeline cover to shoot. Before either of them could manage to get a good view or shot at the figure, a fire dust crystal exploded in one of the piled up trash cans. The heat and the force of the explosion caused a small break back, startling both Emmett and Emmeline as they tried to get out of the way. From what they could see, the figure was heavily cloaked and probably male but it was hard to tell. Even with the light caused by the explosion, the alleyway was mostly darkened and they were deep enough into it not to be drawing attention from the streets. The club on the other side of the street was in full havoc (the police had been called to break up a serious bar fight) and the sounds of the cars and people muffled the confrontation. Still, it made the couple nervous as the figure approached them, firing a few more shots while he walked. Emmeline and Emmett steadied themselves and prepared to react but, suddenly, were briefly stunned.

Without even time to process it, they realized the man in the alleyway was none other than the most wanted man in the nation. Armed to the teeth and with clear intent to kill, Arthur Watts did not hesitate. He was swift, and knocked Emmett down with a sudden, well-aimed kick albeit for naught. Emmeline pulled out her gun and began to fire at him, cursing as soon many shots missed because of her desperately shaking hands. In his distraction, Emmett got off the ground and smacked Watts in the back with the hilt of his sword. Watts violently cursed and convulsed, losing his balance long enough for Emmeline to shoot him in the foot. Reaching back with his hand still around his gun, Watts fired as best he could at Emmett but missed. Nevertheless, Emmett jumped back and, in trying to evade the bullets, lost his balance, stumbling into the wall of one of the apartment buildings. It hurt like a bitch, and he dropped his sword in the process. In that time, Watts began to fight Emmeline fist to fist. Her head was spinning, and her vision was slightly warped by the raging flames. It increasingly hard to tell where everything was in her sight, but she was a well-trained fighter and she would not let herself lose sight of it.

Her fist quickly made contact with the side of his face, and Watts' aura lit up over his body. It was not enough, however, to stop her wedding ring from ripping a small gash in his cheek. Watts howled out in anger, but could not retaliate immediately as Emmett pulled himself up off the ground and elbowed the man in the neck. Emmeline took advantage of the temporary weakness and smacked him in the chest with the back of her gun before restraining him against the wall. Emmett, having more physical force, held him down and she kept her heels on the criminal's feet. Her hands were tightly wrapped around her gun and she kept it aimed at his head. Watts thrashed, groping for the knives under his cloak or even the dust crystals restrained there. He cursed, trying to force his way out. Of all the people to end up at arms with, he certainly hadn't wanted it to be General Ciel and Professor Schnee. He had always feared the wrath of people in the Ciel family, and, since the events at Haven, he especially feared Emmeline. Almost able to reach the dust crystals, Watts meant to start another, more ravaging fire but was startled long enough by Emmett snatching his wrist and slamming a heavy, leather cuff onto his wrist.

"An aura cuff?" Watts snorted. "Using my own technology against me, aren't you, Schnee?"

"Someone has to," He retorted, scowling at the man. "You've killed plenty of people, haven't you?"

"Yes, of course," Watts sneered. "Never imagined the two of you would —"

"Do you want me to shoot?" Emmeline hissed, anger rising in her chest. "You certainly didn't hesitate when you got my father killed."

"Oh, yes," Watts rolled his eyes. "I remember that quite well…"

"Asshole," Emmett muttered. "Speaking of which, you're —"

"What's going on here?" A police officer shouted, entering the alleyway and growing pale upon seeing the restrained Watts. "Oh dear Lord…"

The rest of the squad ran in closely behind him and they quickly took the restrained Watts into custody. The sheriff called down the fire department to stop the fires in the trash from spreading. Soon enough, even after the fires were stopped, the situation was mostly under control. It was major news that Watts had been taken into police custody, even by professionals. Of everyone involved, however, Emmett and Emmeline were the most shocked. It was truly luck that they had managed to subdue the man, not to mention so quickly. It was a relief to them both, but Emmeline was shaken; it took a few hours until the situation had truly sunk in and Emmett knew she was keyed up and reeling. She had struggled to focus, and it had been difficult to get the keys into their front door. She was then awake all night, struggling to find any semblance of calm. Emmett had stayed by her side, doing everything he could but he was getting tired and couldn't help but wish they could both fall asleep. He was tired — exhausted, really — and he knew she was too even with the brief moments she had managed to sleep. They have been anything but restful, which made the morning difficult when it came so quickly. When she finally felt rested, her head was still spinning.

By the time they were called into the Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action to provide testimony of the events from that night a week later, she was only a little more relaxed and, to everyone in the group, it was clear they were headed for the worst even with the knowledge that one of their worst enemies was subdued. The fact the Vytal Festival was only three months away from beginning only amplified that.


	85. Looking Beyond Yet Backwards

**_December 22nd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:43 PM_**

Robyn Hill sarcastically clapped upon Emmeline stepping into the drawing room of the presidential manor alongside Emmett. Also present were Ronnie (who looked thoroughly exhausted), Rosella (who seemed to be in disbelief), Karissa and Spencer (both of whom clearly were still stunned by what had happened), and Elizabeth (who was calmly sipping coffee). It seemed she was the only one who was remotely level headed considering the circumstances. However, even she was uneasy despite Watts being in custody. He was cunning and dangerous, not to mention the fact that he had managed to evade detection for years and had convinced the country he was dead. No, he was not one that would so easily betray his own secrets. It was far more likely they would be forced to wait him and his vague statements out, a thought none of them were particularly thrilled by. There was not much to be done, which was the worrying thought that pervaded for all of them. The Vytal Festival would not wait, after all, and they couldn't cancel the plans. The people were not particularly concerned, and they were going to have to justify any positive action they took to the public. Ultimately, that was the more worrying part.

"Well, congratulations seem to be in order for the two of you," Robyn said dryly, exchanging a glare with Emmett. "You two caught the most wanted man in the kingdom and you didn't kill him. Better than last time, if I do —"

"Robyn," Elizabeth said sharply. "Please do not go there. We have much more pressing matters to discuss than petty grievances you may have against them."

Robyn was about to protest but thought better of it when she saw the pointed look Karissa Mar was giving her.

"I have to say, it strikes me as odd that we were able to subdue him so quickly," Emmett said, squeezing Emmeline's hand. "He's one of the most dangerous men in the world because of his abilities and connections. I know he lost the safe house with Jacques, but he was still caught quicker than any of us would have thought possible. Isn't that a little concerning?"

"I agree the circumstances are a little unusual," Ronnie said mildly. "However, I doubt that he was intending to get caught. I imagine it's far more likely that he saw the moment as a chance to assassinate you and Emily, and, in his gross miscalculation, severely underestimated your abilities. The fact he put up a fierce fight supports that."

Emmeline sighed. "He's much more dangerous than you seem to be giving him credit for, Ronnie. At the end of the day, it was lucky Emmett and I had the common sense to be armed. If we hadn't been…"

Emmett gently wrapped an arm around her, hoping to ease her anxiety.

"It's over now, Emmy," He softly reminded her. "He can't do a damn thing."

"Exactly," Elizabeth put in, setting her coffee aside. "Yes, Emmett, you're completely right. In our custody, Watts is incapable of doing anything, let alone escaping again. He's in maximum security federal prison, and he is in solitary confinement with no visitors permitted. Under these circumstances, he's absolutely no threat."

"While I agree with that, we can't be careless," Karissa said, calmly adjusting her glasses. "The Vytal Festival is approaching and, frankly, it would be best if people were less afraid of the possibility of domestic terrorism or inside violence."

"So long as we address the issue of the PM of Vacuo, we should be fine," Ronnie said, turning to Elizabeth. "Has Varna made any more threats or demands?"

Elizabeth shook her head. "At this time, we have no reason to fear her interfering in the Festival, let alone trying to get into Atlas. She knows what the consequences for that would be."

Rosella raised an eyebrow. "You think she's really deterred?"

"Absolutely," Emmett said immediately. "I mean, she's a lot of things but she's not stupid. She won't want to fuck with Elizabeth, not after their last public confrontation."

Elizabeth hid her smirk behind her hand and couldn't help but be relieved that Spencer spoke and distracted the rest of them.

"That would be a scene," He joked, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "I'm sorry, but Elizabeth almost destroyed her...or, should I say, Elizabeth's security almost destroyed her. Varna's not going to want to mess with that again, especially not since Elizabeth became president."

"Varna's more vicious than you think, Spence," Emmeline warned him. "She's not above anything anymore, believe me."

He sighed. "Emily, I get your concern but —"

"We're trying to avoid an all out war here," She countered. "I'm stressing 'we' because it's clear she isn't. I'm sure Varna would love an excuse to wreak havoc here under the guise of diplomacy. Even Oz thinks so."

Elizabeth frowned. "Be that as it may, I really don't think we should be trusting Ozpin's judgement when it comes to matters of national security."

"Elizabeth," Emmeline said, leaning forward slightly. "Oz has his issues but he means well. I know the two of you don't have the greatest history, but that shouldn't define how you react now."

"It is not," Elizabeth snorted at the thought. "I only mean that I hold more faith in you and James than Oz."

"Plus, Oz is kinda sketchy," Spencer said nervously. "I'm sorry sis, but he's lied to everyone but Cristal thousands of times."

"We need all the strength we can get," She countered. "I know he's fucked up, but that doesn't mean —"

"Emily," Karissa said gently. "I know you have strong feelings on the matter —"

"Dad trusted him," Emmeline said quietly, picking at her nails. "And I always trusted his judgment, even when we were at odds."

Ronnie swallowed hard and Rosella set a hand to his shoulder. Spencer merely stared at his hands and Karissa nuzzled his neck. The air in the room could never have been heavier.

"I know he did," Ronnie said ruefully. "But what do you think dad would say if he saw him as he has become?"

Emmeline had no words and, despite everything, buried her face in her hands and started to cry with the horrible memories feeling just like they had when they were new.

* * *

**_December 29th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:23 PM_**

"You know," Yang said, boredly flicking a card onto the table. "I think it would have been pretty cool to have caught Watts. And Emmeline and Emmett don't even get any bounty money because they're 'technically' government employees!"

Weiss sighed and put down her next card.

"You could do to say that without rolling your eyes," She said, glancing to Ruby. "What do you think, Rubes?"

Ruby shrugged. "When hasn't Yang enjoyed a good fight?"

"Play your move," Blake prodded, then going herself. "Okay, we're adults. Why are we playing crazy eights?"

"We would have put in alcohol, but Weiss said no," Yang commented, kissing Blake's cheek and causing her wife to blush. "My adoptive sister in law is no fun."

"Because I know better," Weiss said, crossing her arms. "You day drinking is bad, Yang, for everyone involved."

She smirked. "Wanna find out?"

Ruby grimaced. "Since when have you been my dad?"

"Uncle Qrow taught me how to drink," Yang informed them, making her next move. "To be honest, I don't think dad and Elizabeth would be too happy if they knew the kinds of things Qrow let me try."

"Now I have to ask," Weiss said, sounding vaguely nervous. "What the hell did he let you try?"

Yang considered that. "Well…" She started slyly. "He let me try champagne at twelve, but that was only so I wouldn't tell my parents that he kinda sorta totaled dad's car and had to sell some valuables to replace it before they found out."

Weiss flicked out her next card and laughed.

"Damn," Blake remarked. "It seems you've made our Ice Queen smile."

"It's easier than you think," Ruby told her. "I don't really see why you're impressed."

Blake's cat ears twitched up in amusement.

"Well, you see," She said, making her move. "I thought Weiss was only interested in things like 3D chess and whatever it is that wealthy Atlas socialites do. Never thought she was one for gossip."

Weiss rolled her eyes. "Are describing Cate or me? Also, I've always been a sucker for gossip. Stop acting like I'm some sort of prudish princess."

"Umm, you are a prudish princess," Yang reminded her. "How'd you feel if I could squirt chocolate milk out of my nipples?"

Ruby buried her face in her hands while Weiss turned pink. Only Blake seemed amused and, when their teammates weren't looking, she swiftly kissed Yang's breasts.

"You're horrible sometimes!" Weiss exclaimed. "Seriously, who says things like that other than you and creepy men that try to pick me up — me, a married woman! — in bars?"

"I've dealt with my share of creepy men," Yang casually noted. "Fun fact: that's how I got banned from two bars on Patch while I was a teenager."

Weiss grimaced. "Why would they have let you in to begin with? You were underage! A baby teenager!"

"Very funny, Miss Shorty-Pants," Yang teased. "And, I'll have you know, it was because I'm hot."

"Yang," Blake said under her breath. "Didn't we agree that I'm the only one allowed to say that about you?"

Yang winked. "Right, sorry."

"You people are turning me into my mother, you know," Weiss muttered with a small groan. "I'm seriously considering taking up day drinking."

"Shots all around?" Yang suggested.

"Absolutely not!" Ruby exclaimed, horrified at the thought and by the memories of the last time they had all taken shots together. "No one wants to see you strip on the table again, Yang!"

"I would," Blake whispered to her wife. "But preferably in our room."

Yang affectionately kissed her cheek. "Then, in that case, you're going to love tonight."

"Yep!" Weiss declared, stepping over the fridge and pouring herself a full glass of wine. "That's it! I'm not buzzed enough to handle this!"

Ruby rolled her eyes. "You may be overreacting a little."

"No, I'm really not this time," Weiss said, rejoining them. "Overreacting was when accompanied Cate to a crime scene investigation for a case and Yang accidentally brought her too close, hence why she almost got shot. Her yelling at Yang later was the definition of overreacting."

"What the fuck do you think you were accomplishing with that little stunt!" Yang mimicked, although her voice was much lower than their friend and colleague's high one. "For God's sake, it's almost like you're trying to get me killed!"

Ruby giggled. "At least she forgave you."

"Yeah, duh," Yang said with a smirk. "Now, back to my story. Elizabeth still doesn't know it, but one of the valuables he sold was her then brand new pearl necklace."

Ruby gasped. "You're kidding."

Yang shook her head. "Oh, how I wish I was this time. He replaced them with plastic beads for awhile and eventually convinced Cristal to give him a new, matching string so he could technically have only swapped out Elizabeth's necklaces. Last I heard, she's still waiting to remind him that he owes her."

Weiss smirked and sipped her wine. "Well, well, well," She said coyly. "I can't wait until she plays that."

"I'd be terrified," Ruby said. "Although, considering how much my dad and Elizabeth seem to hate each other, it's probably for the best that she never finds out."

Blake sighed. "Cristal may be manipulative when she wants to be, but I agree with Ruby even if she won't say it straight. Elizabeth is downright terrifying...no matter what anyone says."

* * *

**_January 3rd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:37 PM_**

All things considered, it looked like the Vytal Festival was going to be a disaster. Even Spencer thought so, and he had held out the longest on declaring they were fucked over. While it would still happen on time, there were several major issues. Rosalinde Varna happened to be foremost amongst them. It was not a surprise, although they had all retained a small bit of hope that — maybe, just maybe — there wouldn't be a terse, diplomatic standoff. It was now only six weeks until the start of the Festival, and everyone was nervously anticipating the worst. The aggression from the fragments of what had once been the White Fang, as well as the brutal violence from the Consolate in Vale and southern Mistral, only set things further on edge. Atlas had never been too friendly towards terrorists and, while most leaders were tolerant of the faunus, serious racism plagued the nation. It all spelled disaster for the upcoming event, and even Ozpin knew it. There was no way to avoid the fact things could be on the precipice of going terribly, terribly wrong. Just like in the months before the Fall of Beacon, there was something in the air that left deeply unsettling questions in the back of everyone's minds. With the knowledge the world now had, too, it was more and more apparent that things were not as tranquil as they seemed.

In the headmaster's office at Atlas Academy, the Inner Group was struggling with how to handle the situation. Cristal Sleet (after years of trepidation, she had finally embraced her true name) sat delicately in a small, plush chair with legs crossed at her knees. Her dark brown hair had several streaks of grey that were almost like bands of color and they only underscored her piercing grey eyes behind her glasses. Her husband, Ozpin, stood behind her with his hands resting over his cane. The senior professors — Rosella Katt, Spencer Ciel, and Emmett Schnee — were also present, and seemed variously concerned. Rosella could not stop her tail from flicking, Spencer kept biting his nails, and Emmett couldn't for the life of him stop fidgeting with his glasses and hair. Emmeline was next to him, and he had one arm wrapped tightly around her with his other free to fidget. Winter and Qrow stood by the window; she, hoping someone would say something, and him, resisting the urge to drink. Glynda was leaning against James' desk with her arms crossed and her crop tightly in hand. He paced, trying to assemble his thoughts. They were feeling the weight of the situation, and it was painful at best. While the Vytal Festival had continued even after Beacon had fallen a decade before, this was the first time since that it had been held in Atlas. The people were excited even though they were still afraid, and the Morell Administration was securing every inch of the capital and its immediate outlying regions. Things should have looked good.

"Alright," Emmett said, breaking the silence and turning to his brother-in-law. "Are you sure that witch bitch isn't setting anymore of her pawns up here in Atlas? Because, last time, you were pretty damn sure —"

"Put a cork in it, Schnee," Qrow said, scowling. "We don't need to hear another one of your soliloquies."

"I am certain," Ozpin told Emmett, hoping in the process to diffuse the tension. "If that changes, however, we'll address it then."

"How comforting," Spencer said dryly. "I guess that means we have nothing to worry about here."

Emmeline shook her head. "Oz is far from perfect, but I don't doubt what he's saying."

"Also," Winter put in evenly. "We have two of the maidens here. Atlas military aside, we are more than well armed."

Glynda and Cristal glanced towards each other and, for a few seconds, shared a deeply worried look.

"Still," Spencer countered. "Varna's the Summer Maiden, isn't she? Not only does she control an entire kingdom, but she has powers she stole on her side and she always was a powerful sorceress."

"That is fair," Ozpin conceded. "Rosalinde is a dangerous enemy, but it is unlikely that she will risk life and limb to get into Atlas."

"She would be taken into custody immediately, there is no chance," James agreed, pausing for a moment and looking to his wife. "Glyns, are you sure you're still alright with —"

"We shouldn't stop her from going with them, regardless of what we feel about it," She said shortly, tiredly pushing up her glasses. "It was her choice to join Team RWBY in the reconassiance mission."

"It won't be like what happened to Gina Adel, I promise," Ozpin said, giving James and Glynda a sympathetic look. "I know the two of you are worried, but Ivy is more than capable. She'll be just fine."

"If they're going to Vacuo anyways, I propose giving them the authorization to kill Varna if they deem it necessary," Emmeline said, and everyone turned to her in shock. "Oh, don't look at me like that."

"Don't look at you like that?" Cristal repeated incredulously. "Emmeline, have you lost your fucking mind?"

"No, I haven't," She cuttingly replied. "Team RWBY may not take orders from me because they're contracted, as huntresses, to do only reconassiance by the Atlesian Department of Foreign Affairs and Military Action. Ivy, on the other hand, joined the Atlesian military five years ago after her daughter started preschool. She is under my command, she is going on this mission, and I can give her the orders to kill any damn enemy I please."

Glynda tensed at the realization of Emmeline's true intents, and James, seeing it too, rested his natural hand heavily on her shoulder.

"You want Ivy to become the Summer Maiden," She finally said. "Is that why you want to do this?"

Emmeline and Emmett glanced to each other but then, upon a reassuring squeeze, she nodded.

"It's her choice, ultimately," Emmeline said calmly. "But the option —"

"That's insane —" Rosella protested.

"Bullshit —" Qrow started angrily.

"Have you thought any of this —" Cristal started.

"Do what you want," James cut in. "If you and Ivy both agree, we won't stand in your way."

"I don't like this," Spencer said, shaking his head. "It feels like everything is about to go wrong in a million different ways."

"We'll be fine," Ozpin said, despite not fully believing it. "So long as we don't make our mistakes of Beacon again, we will be just fine."

Winter sighed. "If only we could have believed you then."


	86. Low: Part 1

**_January 12th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:13 AM_**

The whip cracked and flew through the air with its deafening snap. It wrapped around Rosalinde Varna but she quickly destroyed the bind. She then turned around and found herself surrounded by three members of her guard, all of whom seemed ready to take action against her. Little did they know, there were five hunters watching, absolutely horrified by how dangerous their otherwise simple reconassiance mission had become. Ivy Ironwood shifted back into her natural form in shock (she had been trying to blend in with the people around them) and tried not to let out a cry in shock. Ruby, near her, felt very much the same. They had known of Varna's strength but they had never witnessed her power to its full extent. While there was a menacing pause and a silence for just a moment, it seemed they were about to witness something bad. Apparently, Vacuo was not as unified as its council would have the world believe. Without giving so much as a hint of a warning, Varna activated her tremendous power as the Summer Maiden and stared down the three elites. Their hands tightened hard around their weapons. The blonde woman readied her lance and channeled her aura. The tanned man pulled out his guns, and the red haired woman flicked back her whip.

This was no mock battle. So far as they could tell, they were alone on the balcony with Varna. It overlooked the gardens of her mansion, which was well within the grounds. All of them, Varna included, had not even the faintest clue that Team RWBY and Ivory Ironwood were hiding in the dark rafters of her quarters, watching the fight from the crawl space above. They had come for intel and nothing more, although Ivy had her own orders from Emmeline. Refusing to betray any sign of their presence, they simply watched with bated breath. The elites approached Varna, knowing there was no escape since they had revealed their treason. She responded without mercy and summoned a sandstorm, briefly blinding her former guards. The blonde was the first to break through it and pounced on Varna like it was all a game of cat and mouse. Her lance pierced through a weak spot in the Queen's armor, and it activated her protective aura when it grazed her skin. Varna swung her hand at her and fire exuded from her finger tips, so powerfully heated that it melted the tip of the lance to an almost laughable blunt. In the periphery of her vision, she held back the other two with her opposite hand and kicked the blonde to the ground before moving in for the kill.

Gruesomely pushing aura into her hands, Varna deftly snapped the woman's neck. She just barely managed to catch the whip of the red headed woman a second time but she could not send it back upon its release trajectory as she had before. Attempting to compensate for that while the tanned man continued to try and land a good gun shot on her, Varna summoned a heavy shield around herself that she knew she could only use for a short time. His shots were rendered useless, and the red haired woman's whip was weakening. The two of them were trying to snap the protective barrier, Varna knew it full well, but they were gravely weakening themselves in the process. Breaking through it was almost as difficult as breaking through a glacier, and Varna happily mocked their efforts. Far too casually, she prodded the head of their dead companion with her ruby red heels, an action that almost made Ivy and Weiss puke. It obviously offended the two elites still standing, and the red haired woman, in her anger, finally broke through the shield. Her companion fired a shot as quickly as he could, knowing Varna was briefly weakened, and the last one in his guns went clean into her side where the blonde had ravaged Varna's armor. For this, he knew he was about to pay.

The red haired woman was on her knees, refocusing her aura for as long as she could, knowing their Queen was distracted. The young woman's semblance allowed her to regenerate her full aura quickly if she held a certain focus, and she just needed her companion to buy her a little more time. The three of them had known what they had conspired would likely be the rough equivalent of a suicide pact, but there was nothing to be done about it if they wanted to ever try and take power themselves. A deadly power vacuum had been developing in the kingdom for quite some time, and everyone in high government knew it. Varna herself was aware of it, hence the frequent executions and parades. She didn't give a damn how it appeared to the rest of the world; so long as she remained the Queen, she couldn't care less. Her arrogance, however, was what allowed the tanned man to grasp her ankle and come close to snapping her aura with his semblance of eletrokinesis. It was his own aura, however, that snapped and Varna, her eyes still sparking with the power she had claimed nearly a decade before, summoned a glowing sword. With no effort, she swung it through the air almost as if she were dancing and cut off his head.

In the same instance, the whip of her last elite wrapped itself around her but Varna dispelled it with the force of a violent gale behind the magical blade she commanded. The action was what finally broke her aura but her opponent had never managed to focus long enough to replenish her own. They charged at each other, now fighting fist to fist, and the chaos was all it took for Team RWBY and Ivy to escape. There was no way to avoid returning later, but they were not prepared to fight even an auraless Varna. Her power was too great and, even though they surpassed the skill levels of her elites and greatly outnumbered Varna, they were utterly terrified of what she would be able to do to them. None of them were quite ready to die, and they had witnessed what the woman did to those who betrayed her first hand. It was an ugly scene, and a truly horrible way to die. The red haired woman made one last attempt at Varna as the hunters escaped just as silently as they had come, and still found herself pinned to the ground by Varna's magic-infused heels. Yet, unlike with the others, the Queen did not kill this particular traitor right away. Though the woman didn't know it, she was Varna's own flesh and blood from a love from so long ago that Varna hadn't even recognized the girl she had given up when she had joined her guard.

"I have to commend you on your resilience. You all do put up a good fight," Varna laughed and then shook her head. "But I'm afraid we all have to lose sometimes and for you, Elena, that day is here. Congratulations on managing the de-aging spell. I never thought anyone other than myself could handle such a rite but I should have known my own child could. Pity I didn't recognize you when you snuck the book back in during your personal interview for this job."

The red haired woman — Elena — thrashed and tried to free herself from her mother's grasp but was all but powerless.

"I figured it out a long time ago," Elena got out, her breathing ragged and heavy. "I wouldn't have the damn birth mark I have if I wasn't. It's the same as your moon glyph of power, isn't it?"

"Clever girl," Varna dryly replied. "And that's no birth mark. I branded you with that as a small child so you could never become strong enough to defeat me. A tie that strong means that neither can kill the other unless one of them cast it in the first place."

"I want to know what you've gained from all these years," Elena hissed. "Did you actually do anyone good, or did you just find that you love to kill?"

Varna's eyes narrowed. "Testing my patience, are you?"

"Won't you kill me either way?" Elena retorted, her anger at the injustice rising in her voice. "Why the fuck would it even matter anymore?"

"Because you should have known much better than to do something this reckless, even with support," Her mother shook her head and pushed her heel harder into her daughter's chest, causing her to cry out in pain. "You're not stupid, Elena. How do you think I ever managed to get this far in the first place?"

"You want the truth?" Elena snapped. "I never have given it much thought because it hadn't mattered until you started killing innocent people as a perverse show of sorts! Do you really get off to all this?"

Varna scoffed. "You sound as reckless as Elizabeth Morell. I take and I take because I keep winning and have always done everything to ensure that I will. Don't you see? The Ciel Administration knew what I am capable of because Ronnie Ciel knew I had killed my predecessor. Elizabeth either doesn't know that or doesn't care, and in any eventuality she's reckless. None of you have any idea what I am capable of."

Elena glowered. "Is that so?"

"Yes," Her mother replied.

Then, without love or a sliver of mercy, Varna summoned the little bit of her aura that had regenerated to create a sword and plunged it cleanly into her daughter's chest before turning the bodies into nothing more than sand on the winds.

* * *

**_January 12th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:19 PM_**

"I have a bad feeling about this," Spencer said, sipping his coffee and giving Emmett a look that suggested he was insane. "Did you even try to talk her out of it?"

"Yeah," Emmett said, fidgeting awkwardly with his glasses. After a minute, he sighed. "I asked Glynda to talk him out of it."

Spencer gave him a quizzical look. "You did? I'm sorry, Emmett, but it doesn't seem like it."

Emmett scowled. "Well, I never said she agreed to talk my wife out of beating the ever loving fuck out of Qrow."

"You could have just said you didn't," He replied, running a hand through his shaggy hair. "It's not like you have any leeway to call yourself tough."

"Hey!" Emmett protested. "You're not even a hunter! You're just a professor! You're even less tough than me!"

Spencer laughed. "Sure, but it doesn't change the fact that you're a hunter that let out a girlish shriek the first time he saw a grimm!"

"It was not a girlish shriek!" Emmett exclaimed, turning bright pink. "I'm not a little kid, you know!"

"Are you two fighting too?" Glynda asked with a smirk, a data pad in one hand while the other delicately adjusted her glasses. "I thought only Emmeline and Qrow were going to have a go at it."

"I'm not a dumbass," Spencer told her. "I know I'd lose without it even being much of a fight."

"Qrow's going to lose without it being much of a fight," Glynda remarked. "Honestly, after being always drunk for the better part of almost thirty years, I think it'll be good for him to have his ass handed to him."

Emmett gestured to her in exasperation.

"See, Spencer?" He said, probing his forehead. "Do you really think I could convince her to talk Emmy out of this?"

"Emily's hated him for years," Spencer said with a shrug. "To be honest, I bet he has too which is exactly why I think letting them fight is a bad idea."

"He was the one dumb enough to challenge her," Glynda countered. "Besides, the circumstances are controlled. It isn't as if someone's going to die."

"Yeah, yeah," Spencer said, shaking his head. "Come on, Glynda. James thought this was a bad idea too."

"If you mean a bad idea of Qrow's, then you're right," Glynda said with a faint smirk. "Now, why don't we try and enjoy the spectacle?"

Emmett sighed when she started the formal authorization on her data pad.

"This'll end well…" He said under his breath.

Qrow unleashed Harbinger almost as soon as the authorization was given. Rather than using his beloved weapon in its broad sword form, he used it in the full scythe form which he thought to be more intimidating. She was unfazed, however, having seen far worse on the battlefield. She also knew, just based on his scent alone, that he was still inebriated from the night before and the morning. Not bothering to pull out her rifle, Emmeline took advantage of his slower, drunken movements and darted behind him. She smacked him in the balls and gave him a swift kick to the head. He sunk to his knees like a stone and howled in anger, his weapon flying out of his hands in the process. It felt, to him, that his semblance was quite literally kicking him in the balls. Emmeline readily abandoned her own weapon when he managed to fight his way onto his feet. The two of them were equally matched in hand to hand combat for the moment; neither of them could quite land a devastating hit on the other. That was, of course, until Qrow found himself briefly distracted by his wife stepping into the arena which gave Emmelinr enough time to punch him hard across the face. His aura torrented over him, but her attack left only a small bruise. Qrow drew himself back into the fight, and quickly drew onto defense.

"What on earth are they doing?" Winter exclaimed in exasperation, looking at Emmett, Glynda, and Spencer incredulously. "Are you all even going to try and stop them? They'll destroy half the city if this gets out of hand!"

Glynda snorted. "Like the way you and Qrow destroyed Beacon's courtyard in a fight?"

Winter shifted uncomfortably and spluttered but she couldn't quite find the words she was looking for.

"I'm not objecting," Emmett said, putting up his hands. "Hell, watching my wife kick the shit out of him is kind of a turn on."

The three of them all gave him various looks of pure disgust, temporarily distracted from what they were actually arguing about.

"Winter," Spencer said, breaking their silence and sipping his coffee. "I just want the record to show that I did not approve of this. I'm outvoted here by Emmett, who needs to stop acting like he's never had sex before, and Glynda, who seems to just be enjoying this notion of Qrow being beaten to a pulp by a girl so small that her shorty husband seems tall in comparison."

Emmett scowled. "You're only about half an inch taller than me!"

"Don't forget it," Spencer replied, sipping on his coffee still. "I certainly don't."

"He'll be fine," Glynda reassured Winter. "But he needs to realize sooner than later that he's never going to be able to win against Emmeline. Honestly, I can't even tell if it's the alcohol anymore."

"None of us can," Emmett agreed.

Back down below, Emmeline was finding that she rather enjoyed putting Qrow in his place. The two of them had hated each other for years, and the fact it had taken so long before they had fought was almost a miracle. He was struggling to keep up with her punches; he had been out in the field more than her, especially of late, but it was clear she was training her reflexes and it was more than productive. If it continued much longer without interruption, he knew his aura would snap. There were many things in life that Qrow feared or, at the very least, found truly and deeply unsettling. This was one of them. The mere notion of losing a fight to Emmeline Ciel of all people made him sick, and he knew that nobody (but especially Emmett) would be keen to let it go after the fact. If he were going to win, he knew he would have to get creative. He began to move more frantically, distracting her slightly and sending her punches and kicks off theirs trajectories. It was by only a small amount, but it bought him enough time to smack her in the breasts. Emmeline stumbled back, winded, but she did not surrender. Instead, she released her long, half black and half white hair from its bind. She meant to end it quickly, there was no doubt about that. She was menacing, all but asking him to come closer and fight now.

Qrow took a step back himself, completely terrified of what he imagined she might try to do to him. This was not a woman he had ever thought would be one to cross, but they had argued so many times that they had to prove who was stronger. Qrow prepared himself for her raging storm, but he was not prepared enough. She bolted towards him, tackled him to the ground, and, in pinning him down, accidentally ripped a big chunk of hair out of the side of his head. That was when his aura snapped, and she looked particularly uncomfortable. The feeling only increased when, even after she was clearly the winner, he punched her in the face hard enough to give her the start of a black eye. The two of them scowled at each other for about a minute and Emmeline tossed the bit of his hair she had accidentally pulled out towards him. He stared at it in shock while Emmett excitedly praised his wife and ran down into the arena to embrace her. Winter grimaced when she reached Qrow and he groaned upon her grazing her hand over th sensitive spot on the side of his head where the hair had been ripped out. Glynda and Spencer merely exchanged amused looks, trying their damndest to stay professional for as long as they could.

"I think that may have come out of your head," Emmeline said, gesturing awkwardly to the chunk of hair by Qrow's feet. "Sorry about that."

"Yep," He said, rolling his eyes. "Ugh, you win, Ciel, but don't you dare try that again."

Emmeline smirked triumphantly. "It doesn't look like I'll ever have to, does it?"


	87. Low: Part 2

**_January 13th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:49 PM_**

"Stay out of my way," Rosalinde Varna ordered, her ruby red heels clicking against the porcelain path in the gardens. Her remaining elite force guards from the previous day ran off in abject terror. "I will handle these Atlesian intruders on my own."

She was no stranger to the concept of spilling blood. All along she had known it would only be a matter of time before Morell would grow tired of her waiting game. They had been locked against each other since the day Rosalinde had walked away from the group, and it appeared their forces were about to collide. Still a fantasist, Rosalinde Varna imagined (if incorrectly, given that the Atlesian President's attention was directed to many other matters) how she believed Elizabeth must have so angrily given the order to send an important Atlas-based team and a member of the military to subdue her enemy. She imagined, too, that Elizabeth would be impatiently sitting in her office as she awaited the news that her most dangerous foe was dead. Varna snorted at the thought, having no intention of giving Elizabeth such satisfaction. She was the Queen of Vacuo, not a puppet leader or a child quivering in fear. She was the most powerful person in the world, so she had nothing to fear from whomever it was Morell had sent. Varna knew it was a stroke of arrogance to dismiss her guard, but she would not risk them turning on her the way their colleagues had the day before. Her easy victory was yet another reminder she clung to, believing that the Atlesians wouldn't dare if they knew her capabilities.

Little did Vacuo's Queen know that the five that had had come (four to subdue and one to kill, though she had not admitted such to them yet) were fully aware of what had happened because they had seen it. The sight had been disenchanting and horrible, but it had strengthened their resolve. They did not have orders to take a world leader into custody, and they knew it could cost them everything, but inaction was no longer an option. They had been sent to Vacuo to find out what had truly been happening all along and, now that they knew, they could not let it stand. If violent murder was how Varna dealt with insubordination from her own protectors, then it was suffice to say that she would not tolerate it any better from her people. The kingdom of Vacuo had suffered under her regime long enough. While she had once been a member of the same group they all were aligned with, her exit had been long ago and her loyalties appeared to be to no one but herself. It was more than clear that she didn't give a damn about what was right or what would happen to the rest of the world if she allowed it to burn. Her descent into corrupted madness had caused enough damage. This was a chance they were willing to take if it meant lives would be spared. It violated nearly a dozen laws for all of them except Ivy, but there was nothing to be done to avoid a confrontation.

In the gardens, Varna walked gracefully, awaiting the arrival of the five women. She knew they were strong, and she knew it would be a much more difficult fight than the one from just a day before, but she cared very little about the logistics. Her body, as a result of her black magic, was as youthful as theirs although she was much older than even their parents. She had no doubt in her mind that they were still sharp hunters, but she had the upper hand for the moment. She knew they were coming, and the surprise of their attack no longer mattered. They would have to find her, perhaps tousle with a few of her weaker dolls, and she would be more than prepared by the time they found her. Smiling to herself, Varna pricked her finger on one of the rose thorns and delicately licked away the blood. It was an ancient magic she had tied to the rose bushes, and their blooming strengthened her when she shed a few drops of her blood. Her mother had been good for nothing in many ways, but her spell book had given Rosalinde more than a few ideas. Her abilities of a spell caster were less useful in actual combat than they were in preparations and defense, and she knew better than to underestimate the power of blood. Her own blood was a crucial part of almost every spell she cast, and, so long as the rose bushes were in bloom, she could tap into the power stored within them now that they had her blood.

Rosalinde Varna let out a small laugh, knowing full well that it was unlikely any of Morell's hunters would figure out the importance of blood magic in time. Perhaps they would as they laid dying, but they wouldn't in time to destroy her power center. Much like with a spirit, the type of twisted dark magic Varna used relied on a power center, hence why she had her rose garden. It was an easy place for her to draw magic from and, just as well, it was so expansive that she could more easily distract them than she could within her quarters or anywhere else. It would not take much, she believed, for her to devise a strategy to defeat them once they showed themselves and their powers. She was sure they had grown stronger since their time at Beacon, but strength meant little to Varna when skill and expertise had always controlled the outcome of a fierce fight. This would be a duel to the bitter end, but she was confident she would be victorious. After all, she had always been possessed of power granted only to a select few. Since her acquisition of the powers of the Summer Maiden nearly a decade prior, she had grown only more arrogant in her abilities. She would be undefeated, and she would be the one to show fucking Elizabeth Morell and everyone else in Atlas that she could not be taken lightly again.

She could hear their footsteps drawing nearer; finally, they had realized where she was. It was very nearly comical to her how long it had taken one of the best teams in Atlas to find her. They were thought of as the best the kingdom had to offer, and they had years of field training to prove it. Arguably, they had shown their true skills as early as their first year at Beacon with their response to the Mountain Glenn incident. Rosalinde remembered that day well, if only because of the spat she and Ronnie had regarding some of her domestic policies. In hindsight, she considered much of that day to be burecratic nonsense but she didn't care. So much had changed since then, and her power had grown immensely. To take her as lightly as it seemed they were had been the first mistake of the Atlesian government. The second mistake would come to light after she killed all five of the women. She knew it would make quite the scene, and she knew that the Atlesian President would not take kindly to a former colleague (or anyone, for that matter) harming her stepdaughter, let alone killing her. In a way, Rosalinde relished in the thought of Elizabeth's anger. She would make them wait, of course, before they would hear of what had happened to the women they had sent. After all, what was the fun in the game if they found out the truth immediately?

"Lovely," Rosalinde drawled upon the double doors to the garden opening and the five women stepping in. "I have to say, I never thought you would have the gall to break into my home. Quite rude of you, if I do say so myself."

A terse silence held over them; the five of them stared Varna down, unsettled by how relaxed she was for the circumstances.

"We don't want to harm you," Ruby said slowly. "I know you've changed, but that doesn't mean we can't come to a compromise. Aren't you worried about the rest of the world? Don't you want to be free?"

Varna scoffed. "Freedom? How deluded are you people?"

"We're deluded?" Blake repeated, stunned. She shared a brief glance with Ivy; they both felt almost as if they were talking to Adam again. "How many people have had to die at your hands?"

"I'll have you know, I've killed less people than Ozpin," Varna said, crossing her arms. "I think that should count for something. Wouldn't you agree, kitty cat?"

Blake flinched, her cat ears twitching angrily. She was used to occasional racial tension and hearing slurs in Atlas, but it had been awhile since it had been to her directly.

"Ozpin is not perfect," Blake said, her hand tightening around her katana. "But he hasn't been the villain in a long time."

"You have one chance," Weiss added, giving Varna a disdainful look. "You either come quietly with us back to Atlas, or you make us fight you to it."

Varna laughed. "You cannot possibly believe I'll come quietly, do you?"

"It's worth asking," Ivy said, gritting her teeth. "Unlike you, we want to avoid needless bloodshed."

"It won't be my blood you're shedding today," Varna narrowed her eyes and walked slowly towards them. "But your own might stain my porcelain."

Having heard more than enough, Yang charged at her, readying her metal fist to punch the Queen of Vacuo's lights out. In a matter of seconds, she was flung into the wrought iron fence by a fierce wind summoned by Varna. She let out a shriek in pain, her aura rippling over her while her teammates charged on, having no way out of the fight now that it had begun. Ruby swung Crescent Rose our into its full scythe form, swinging it under Varna's legs in the process. The force of the sudden attack disoriented her long enough for Weiss and Blake to land a few hits against her, with Blake punching her hard enough to begin weakening the Vacuoian Queen's aura. Yang, seeing her wife manage such a feat, quickly ran back into the fight and, tag-teaming with Ivy, fired a gravity dust crystal into the ground near Varna's feet. The ensuing explosion blew the Summer Maiden into her own beloved rose bushes, and the thorns scratched away at her aura because of the damage already done and the difficulty in drawing blood. The bushes rippled in color — the same color as the Queen's aura — while Weiss, Ruby, Yang, and Blake ran at Varna, who quickly recovered from the seeming distraction. Seeing her activate her powers as the Summer Maiden was all Ivy needed to confirm that at least some of Varna's power was tied to the rose bushes. Her mind racing, she knew they would have to be destroyed if they were going to stand a chance. They outnumbered Vacuo's Queen and were likely more powerful, but they could not out last her.

Ivy watched for a few seconds as Ruby and the others aimed attacks from all sides, only to be pushed back by the small sandstorm Varna had magically constructed to protect herself. Without even calculating it, Ivy knew the quickest way to damage to rose bushes would be with fire, but she only had gravity dust, her knives, her gun, and a pack of cigarettes in her jacket. It was then she remembered her lighter. Since her sister had jokingly given her an antique one on their birthday the year before, Ivy had always kept it in her outer pocket, where she rarely kept anything. The inner lining of her jacket was much more convenient for combat, after all. It was a hell of a stretch, but it could work. All the bushes were connected, and Ivy suspected she only need them all to become damaged for Varna's power to be diminished. Steeling herself and praying her friends wouldn't be caught up in the flames, Ivy whipped out her lighter, flicked it on, and tossed it into the center bushes. They quickly erupted into white-hot flames and Varna's summoned shield dissipated in her shock. The few seconds this gave them allowed Ruby and Yang to land hits on Varna at the same time, the force of which dragged her backwards several feet while the flames spread and began to engulf her garden and beloved power center.

"Who says smoking isn't good for you?" Ivy said under her breath.

Silently, just before entering the fight, she was vowing to hold her stroke of luck over her sister's head if she and the others made it back to Atlas. It was petty, she knew, but it was motivation. Her orders were not pretty, but Ivy could see, more than ever, that they needed to be carried out. Blake was right. Enough people had died at the hands of this woman. She was unrecognizable from the woman she could have once been, and they didn't have the liberty of finding out what had possessed her. It was clear enough that she had to be stopped. However, despite the damage and destruction to her power center, Rosalinde Diana Varna had no intention of giving in. So far as she was concerned, they were lowly creatures acting on orders. They had not the spirit she did, and they were severely underestimating her will to live. When they died, she would reign victorious and no one in the Atlesian government would be willing to take such a risk again. She had everything to lose from this battle, but also everything to gain. Thus, well aware that it would expend most of her aura, Varna summoned a wind storm of almost terrifying power and directed it at the five women. The force of it flung all of them back onto the porcelain patio, and it left them gasping for air. Her heels clicking menacingly again, Varna haughtily started towards them and summoned powerful magical ropes around Weiss' neck, beginning to choke her with rather sadistic glee.

"Is there a problem, heiress?" Varna taunted while Ruby, Ivy, Blake, and Yang all struggled to try and cut Weiss free. "Oh, no, I'm afraid that won't do much of anything. Your little Schnee will just have to suffer until I get bored of her."

"Let her go!" Ruby pleaded, her silver eyes brimming with tears. If she had to watch her wife die the way she —

For just a few chilling seconds, the world went white for her and nearly blinded the rest of them. When everything stopped spinning, it seemed the spell had been relinquished and Varna was staring at her hands in absolute disbelief.

"Another power of the silver eyes?" She hissed once her words no lingered failed her. The damn girl had gone and done it; the pale blonde destroying her power center had been one thing but thus was another entirely. "You won't live to see the light of —"

Varna began to cast a summoning spell to consume Ruby Rose in a torential wave, but Yang was quick on her feet and fired a shot from her gauntlets that aimed true. Between the loss of her power center, the storm, and her shield, the single bullet was all it took to finally snap the Queen's aura.

"That was your warning," Yang said, trying to help Blake and Ruby protect Weiss, who had fallen unconscious from the oxygen deprivation. "Don't try anything funny or you'll lose the playing nice."

"You call this playing nice?" Varna yelled, her eyes sparking. "If you think —"

"No!" Ivy screamed.

Seeing Vacuo's Queen move to fire a gun she had hidden under her blazer at the unconscious Weiss, Ivy gave into her instincts and threw her knives as quickly as she could at the woman. Varna's focus in finding her aim made her weak for just long enough to give Ivy a steady target, a luxury she rarely had. Turning suddenly when she caught a glimpse of Ivy out of the corner of her eye, Varna switched targets and released the trigger. It was too little too late; the shot missed by several feet and Ivy's last knife aimed perfectly because of Varna's change in position. It plunged itself deep into her heart and, for a few seconds at most, the Queen of Vacuo could comprehend what had happened to her; she had lost the fight she had thought she would easily win and could not survive. Her aura had been shattered, and the last person she saw was the last person she thought of. By no means would she have ever allowed the power of the Summer Maiden to go to Ivy Ironwood of all people by choice. It was sheer luck that the brat had been so ingenuitive. Her body fell to the ground limply, and Ivy slapped her hand over her mouth in horror; she had murdered someone in cold blood and her own veins were now becoming alight with an ability set she never had wanted. Ruby was in shock just as she was, Blake swallowed hard, and Yang could only stare. They had done far more than they had been sent to do, and, while Ivy knew orders were orders, she could scarcely believe it herself when she considered the facts.

Rosalinde Diana Varna was no longer the most powerful sorceress in the world, and the magic she had claimed with no right had left her body. The magic dripped from the fingers of the woman who had been ordered to assassinate her. It was true Ivy had never imagined she would be capable of claming power so fierce, but it was also true that she had done what had long since been deemed as necessary. She still trusted Emmeline wholeheartedly, but, for the first time, she was afraid of herself and what she was capable of.

"It's...it's over," Ruby said, breathing heavily and probing her forehead. "And...and we're all...still here."

"Yep," Ivy said numbly, trying to stand up with the aid of one of the patio chairs. "And we'll be…"

Without warning, her world went briefly dark and she fell unconscious alongside Weiss. When the two of them came to an hour later on the airship returning to Atlas, they realized, just as the others had, that nothing would be the same, most especially in the war against Salem who was sure to be pissed by her best puppet's death.


	88. Bitter Pill to Swallow

**_January 15th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:13 PM_**

"What the _fuck_ were you thinking, assigning those orders? That matter was one that had vast ramifications throughout the entire government! How are we in the executive supposed to explain this?" Elizabeth paused for a moment to catch her breath. "How is the legislature supposed to handle the results of this drastic change in policy from a collaborative stand point, heaven forbid if they are tasked with declaring war should Vacuo react first! Not to mention the questionable legality, or the ethicacy! A decision like this could never hold up in court! Well? Say something!"

Emmeline sighed heavily. "Eliza, you and I both know why this was necessary."

Elizabeth crossed her arms. "Do we? I was under the impression that our military isn't allowed to go unchecked! No part of Atlesian bureaucracy is supposed to go unchecked, yet you've still gone and done something like this! I know this is going to sound wildly egotistical, but my reputation is on the line! You know what else is at stake? Our diplomatic ties to the other kingdoms now that you've gone and done this! Already I've received half a dozen phone calls from Vale, Mistral, and Menagerie asking why the hell they Vytal Festival should go on when this is what Atlas does to perceived enemies! Do you know the kind of damage this could do, let alone what the Festival is going to look like with this hanging over it? My God, what were you thinking?"

"I understand that she was a world leader, but her country is war-torn and unstable anyways," Emmeline said, twisting the white half of her hair into the inky black half. "It isn't unjustified; she was a threat to national security and —"

"With all due respect, if you had thought that were the case then you should have followed procedure and presented your advice to the rest of the DFAMA, the senate committee on War and Intelligence, and to me," Elizabeth shook her head. "But you did none of that, did you? Instead, you acted of your own accord and have put me in a terrible diplomatic position, particularly with the Vytal Festival beginning in just a few weeks. I know I'm focused on that particular point, but it's an integral diplomatic event, an opportunity to strengthen particularly female recruiting, and it is a major source of revenue! I understand why you took action, but by no means does that make me I'm agreement with it! Emily, I platonically love you and have great respect for your skill but, let's face it, you're impulsive and vengeful. This isn't even the first time you've proven that either."

Emmeline bit her lip. "It had to be done. If the people knew Varna had been the Summer Maiden —"

"I agree it would be more understandable, and I think you should note that in classified testimony, but we cannot do that," Elizabeth tiredly probed her forehead. "Everyone knows only five people were there, and they know who they were. It wouldn't take much to identify who took the powers from there."

"Well there has to be something we can do about it," Emmeline paused upon her teammates stepping into the room. Emmett quickly came over to her and took her hand. "I assume you've heard."

"That our daughter is the Summer Maiden?" Glynda scoffed. "No, all we heard was that you had given questionable orders and then Varna was six feet under."

Emmeline sighed. "I'm sorry, but there really wasn't another way."

"Is that a joke?" Glynda exclaimed, delicately adjusting her glasses. "If you had let us get a word in edgewise after floating that idea in the first place, we could have avoided whatever the fuck this is."

"What's done is done," James gently reminded her. "What's more important is that we figure out how to handle this."

"That makes —" Emmett started, an edge to his voice.

"No," Elizabeth said, putting up a hand to silence him. "You're going to say the same damn things you did after the Khan assassination and I am too fucking exhausted to deal with it right now, okay?"

Emmett shrugged. "Straight forward as ever, huh, Eliza?"

"Good enough," She muttered. "But, more to the point, I've begun drafting the official stance of the administration towards these developments as intend to make it public in a few days time."

Glynda and James shared a nervous look, having seen the worst of Elizabeth's ability rationalize over the years.

"And that would be…" He started slowly.

"That the action was unprecedented but based on intelligence that suggested Varna was conspiring with the Dark Queen," The Atlesian President said calmly, her voice as clipped as always. "And that we had no choice but to prioritize safety over waitng out such disturbing news. Essentially, the official stance will present the matter as leaving us without any other options. It's not entirely truthful, but that intelligence does exist and that was becoming a point of debate when the assassination was carried out."

"It's reasonable," James agreed. "And it isn't too much of a stretch from the truth either."

"I'll give you that it's a better spin," Glynda said, her hand tightening around her crop. "I hate to say it, but it's better than our other options at the moment and will probably fix the diplomatic damage to an extent."

"Actually, it should probably make most of their objections go away," Emmeline countered. "Overall, we aren't in a bad position."

Elizabeth scowled. "I'm not surprised to hear you say that."

"Eliza," Emmett started warningly. "If you start going at my wife —"

"Come on," Emmett said, matching her glare. "I thought we were trying to be civil here."

"We are being civil," Elizabeth venomously replied. "But this matter is deeply fraught and I, for one, am not going to put up with —"

"You never put up with anything," Emmett reminded her. "You never have, come to think of it."

Elizabeth stiffened. "Is that right?"

"You know it is," Emmett said tersely. "It always has been."

"Here we go again," Glynda said under her breath to James.

"Yes," He murmured, taking her hand. "Here we go again."

* * *

**_January 18th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_7:23 PM_**

"Mommy!" Hope Ironwood gleefully jumped onto her mother the second she stepped through the door. "Aunt Cate! Hi! Is your brother coming?"

"Here," Jake Ironwood-Goodwitch said, pushing past his sisters and into Ivy's apartment. "Oh, hey, do you have any beer?"

"Already found it!" Yang yelled in from the kitchen. "Blake and I will be right there, don't worry!"

Cate shook her head. "I know you're trying to save money, but I can't believe you're living with the two of them. I'd lose my mind."

"That's because it's too easy to push your buttons," Jake remarked, slamming the door behind them with his foot. "Even when we were kids, you'd get mad if your routine was messed up in any way. If any of us were the problem child, it was you."

"Here for this fight," Yang said, teasing her wife. "Hey, Blake, do we have any popcorn?"

"There's not going to be a fight," Ivy said, discreetly gesturing to her daughter. "And you know what you should stay away from saying, right?"

Cate stuck out her tongue childishly at her brother and sat down on one of the plush chairs near the couch Ivy, Blake, Yang, and Jake had claimed.

"I'm an adult too," She said, crossing her arms. "I should think I know how to conduct myself."

"You should," Blake agreed. "But, outside of work, you usually don't. Honestly, is a strict professional environment the only one where you know how to be, I don't know —"

"No, no, no," Ivy quickly cut her off. "She misses enough social cues as it is, don't make this worse."

Cate rolled her eyes. "As if I care."

"Cookie?" Yang held one (hopefully not from her bra) in front of little Hope, whose eyes went wide in excitement. "It's chocolate chip. Isn't that your favorite?"

Hope nodded furiously. "Yes!" She exclaimed, happily taking the cookie from Yang and shoving it in her mouth. "Thanks aunt Yang!"

"Hope, honey," Ivy said, setting her daughter down. "Why don't you go play with your toys in your room for a little? The grown ups need to talk."

Hope pouted but slowly trudged off, albeit stopping to hug Yang and then Cate. A few minutes after she was gone, the silence finally broke.

"So," Cate said awkwardly. "You're the new Summer Maiden."

Ivy turned pink. "Yes. I had my orders, and I carried them out. That's what any sane person in my position would have done."

Cate snorted. "I know daddy has probably already said it, but you're romanticising blind obedience."

Ivy narrowed her eyes. "Why do you always sound like them? Mommy and daddy didn't understand — couldn't understand — that we didn't have a choice! Was Emmeline supposed to let those powers go to someone random, possibly another one of our enemies?"

"There's a difference between calculated risk and what you're describing, not to mention that this broke over half a dozen laws beyond simply violating prescribed procedure for something like this," Cate said heatedly, her studies as a lawyer on full display. "Frankly, if someone other than Emmeline did something like that, they would be in jail."

"That's not entirely true," Jake countered. "I mean, it's not as if Emmeline gets special treatment for her position."

"And that's not entirely true either," Yang told him, brushing her hair over her shoulder. "I know my stepmother has done her fair share of overstepping, but all politicians have. What she told me was that Emmeline is too valuable an asset to the military and the DFAMA because of her tactical mind, and the fact that she's a Ciel has only made her more prestigious. The entire family has distinguished themselves individually; their father as having an iron will, Ronnie as being a level-headed, farsighted leader, Spencer as a scholar, and Emmeline as a veteran. They're not untouchable, but they are honored by a lot of people in the government and what they say carries weight."

Ivy sighed. "That aside, this was what needed to be done. Apart from your mom —"

"Yeah," Yang said irritably. "And she's not really my mom at this point."

"Apart from her, we have the maidens," Ivy finished. "How is what I did any different from when my mom killed Cinder?"

"Cinder was a violent sociopath —" Jake started.

"So was Varna," Blake put in. "The only real difference is that Cinder was Atlesian."

Cate shook her head. "Actually, the more important difference is that y'all sought out Varna and enacted an assassination against a world leader. She was terrible, sure, but the diplomatic ramifications are not going to make Atlas — but more importantly all y'all — look good."

Ivy tensed. "I don't think there will be too much backlash."

"Like it or not, carrying out your orders — unreviewed orders, mind you — is already causing serious unrest in Vacuo," Cate unflinchingly told her. "A country that was never truly stable to begin with."

"Okay, come on," Jake said, smacking his face with the palm of his hand. "I thought we had talked about what wouldn't be helpful to say the other day when your wife begged you not to come here and start a fight."

"I'm not starting a fight," Cate replied. "I'm just presenting the facts."

An uncomfortable silence fell over them. Ivy stared at her hands, Jake glanced around, Cate flicked through her scroll, and Yang and Blake kept exchanging looks that suggested they had regrets when it came to involving themselves, per usual, in a contentious situation between their best friends.

"Ivy did save all of our skins, though," Blake offered, smiling at the pale blonde. "If you hadn't thought to cause chaos by lighting the shrubbery on fire, I'm not sure we could have done it."

Ivy glanced to her sister. "Remember the vintage lighter you gave me as a gag last year? I used it to do exactly what Blake just described."

"Fucking wicked!" Jake exclaimed, fist bumping Yang and never more impressed by his sister's gall.

Cate sighed and delicately adjusted her glasses, looking rather like her mother.

"Alright," She said in resignation. "I suppose your habit did serve you well in that it stopped the five of you from being murdered by a brutal dictator."

"Gee, thanks," Ivy said, laughing. "Lighten up, sis, it's fine."

Cate scowled. "As if it's in my nature to lighten up when my sister, despite our parents' extreme disapproval, became a chain smoker. You're going to die at fifty if you keep it up."

Yang smirked. "Aww, are you concerned about her health? Gotta say, after years of contempt for each other, you two have definitely improved a lot."

Cate shrugged. "As before, I am indomitable."

Ivy smiled briefly but then sighed. "I know you are, you always have been," She paused for a second. "I just wish you'd realize there are things the homilies and hymns and law books won't teach you."

* * *

**_January 23rd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:32 PM_**

Atlas was an easy place to get lost in, but she knew it well enough to get by. It was only a brief excursion on her way to kill the idiots in Vacuo that had let her best pawn die, but she needed the in-person intel. Much like how she had struck Beacon years before, she intended to use the Vytal Festival as a means to an end. Just before its culmination, she would strike. They would all be there; the process of finally destroying her greatest adversaries would end faster than they could possibly imagine. She alone would make it impossible for even Ozpin to justify the cost of the fight. He had held out this long, but enough was enough. Although Arthur Watts was incarcerated and Varna dead, and had other people at her disposal. She had Emerald — still fuming over Cinder's death even after all this time — and she had Mercury, Hazel, Tyrian, and a hidden, powerful force on her side. For now, she would accept lying in wait. By Novembertide, she would be poised to perfectly unleash her bloodthirsty dogs of war upon their enemies. She had no doubt in her mind that they were powerful and well prepared, but she knew as well that she could find them well off their guard. With her still untapped ally by her side, she would be unstoppable. He, however, was still living behind her mirror.

Even bearing their past in mind, she believed this time he would come to her aid. He had refused plenty before, but, now, her army was ready. It helped that the grimm were under her sole control, too. She had made the decision that her victory would have to be absolute; if there was an ember left, it would reignite the revolution and all would be for naught. Her talon-like fingers curled under her long, billowing cloak. She did not appear unusual to the people around her (magic was immensely useful in concealing one's true appearance) but she knew that there would be questions if she lost her temper and caused havoc. As a magic user, her power was rivaled only by the maidens and Ozpin. It would be all too clear what caused the damage. No, she knew her limits and was prepared to address them when the time was right. That time had yet to come. At the end of the day, she was ruthlessly cunning and her arrogance belied unbelievable power. If she so desired, she could bring a meteor down on the buildings she walked past. She did not because she knew it would be far too frivolous. Her plan was one that needed more time to develop, otherwise it would be impossible to win against the enemies she so grudgingly admitted to be formidable.

Letting out an irritable sigh, the Dark Queen herself turned her attention to the people outside of a nearby club. Their voices were growing louder by the seconds that went by. It was clear there was no reason for her to worry about her identity being unveiled, but she was curious as to what they had to say about her. After all, they were clearly discussing politics and it would only be a matter of time before she was brought up, given the impact the "revelations" as they were called had on Atlesian society and political culture. Everyone was afraid, but they also wanted to know everything they could about what they were up against. Such was, she decided, merely typical of humans. In the heavy night shadows and with the aid of her magic, she disappeared into the darkness and simply observed. Apart from two of the five, they were all smoking cigars and none of them were without a cocktail. All of them were clothed in what was clearly of designer origin, and what she imagined to be their substantial personal wealth resonated even in the way the carried themselves or leaned casually against the building. Nearby, the club bouncer seemed unconcerned by them and was attempting to ward off some underage students that were trying to sneak in and have their fill of rapture and expensive wines and liquors. In some ways, it was meaningless. In others, it spoke volumes about the world they lived in.

"Morell has just about lost her mind over this whole thing in Vacuo."

"Sounds about right. They tried to clean up their little mistake today."

"I can't believe that bitch is dead. She was a fuckin' nuisance but I didn't think we would have the balls to kill her."

"Leave it to Ciel. She is the chair of the security council, you know."

"Can't believe she sent Team RWBY and Ivy Ironwood to do it, though. Nothing against them or their abilities, but there are probably less identifiable people they could have sent."

"What does it matter? Varna's dead."

"Well, partner, that's the whole problem: she was a queen, not a terrorist. We kill people like her all the time, but when they're ruling a country we leave 'em alone."

"She's right. Everyone knows how much Morell hates Varna and the ties the bitch had to the fuckin' witch lady and her grimm but she wanted the dust in Vacuo and that could only be obtained diplomatically."

"Fuck that. Even with Varna out of the picture, Morell is still going to have to play nice politics for the Vytal Festival, otherwise this one will turn out just like the one at Beacon ten years ago."

"Ten years already? Don't make me feel old."

"I remember Edward Ciel's assassination in September of 2001. I am old."

"Shut up. We've had enough national tragedies."

"Maybe things will turn around with the Festival. Hell, maybe things will finally become like in Star Trek. Atlas is the world kingdom. One to beam up to the USS Enterprise?"

"Yeah. That would be nice."

"Live long and prosper, I guess."

Without even a ripple, the Dark Queen was gone. She had heard more than enough and her sinister palace awaited her. Even the burning ground in her wasteland felt perfect. It was perfect in her sinister vision for the world she desired to set on fire.


	89. Hidden Threat

**_February 3rd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:15 PM_**

With class only just having gone back into session, the halls of Atlas Academy were teeming with life and teenagers. Surprisingly, however, was the presence of Caitlin Ironwood and her wife, Samara Ciel-Schnee. They were both taking a few days off work, but something Emmett had said to them had set off their spidey senses. Both of them had been nervous since Varna's assassination, in large part because of the part Emmeline had played in it. Caitlin tightened her hand around her wife's as she used her scroll to buzz into the web to watch the news. So many people had tried to discern what had happened. Only a few of them knew the truth. Samara has taken a much softer view of the orders her mother had given but Caitlin, who was particularly angry with Ivy for her actions during the raid and the way her sister had flaunted her powers in the aftermath, had much more to say about it. The lawyer had quite a bit of information that concerned her regarding the situation. She had no love of mercy for her sister's actions, and she hated her for it. Ivy had already changed so much because she had taken up the mantle of a maiden. Both Glynda and James had expressed concern for their daughter since then, but Caitlin had hardened in anger.

"This is incredible," Samara said, sighing heavily and twisting her hair in her hands. "But I don't like this. Honestly, some of them get very near the truth. It's almost horrifying. For so many reasons, I don't like this. First old footage from our early years get leaked and now there's security footage of what happened with the Varna assassination? And for heaven's sake! Some of these comments are absolutely absurd! As if I can control 'grimm or something!' They're out of their minds. And not just that…they're conflating us and our abilities with those of Salem's and that's just terrifying no matter how close they get to the truth."

"They're all getting far too close to it for my liking. Honestly, it's downright unsettling. I wouldn't be surprised if Salem herself is trying to diffuse part of the truth — the parts that benefit her — to spurn fear...and, probably, to make sure the small towns and cities attract more grimm. The more destruction she causes, the happier she is. And, don't forget, she has the world's best programmer on her side." Caitlin observed, perhaps a bit dryly.

Samara shuddered. "Don't remind me."

Caitlin sighed. "I'm being honest."

"I know," Samara said dejectedly, crossing her arms. "That's what upsets me most."

They all knew full well that it was nothing short of a miracle that Leonardo Lionheart, who had been and still was on supervised release from prison, hadn't been discovered publicly for all he had done. That very much included the hands he had played in some of Cinder's plans years before. Most people only knew that he had retired as one of the headmasters rather than having been deposed by his daughter, whose husband at the time had been the Atlesian President. The people didn't know, either, that his return to the field was actually part of his lifetime of service to society. That had been the condition upon which he had been released. It was a bargain he had struck with Karissa Mar, Kiara Davis, and Tara Sparks, as a form of retribution for his involvement in the killing of several hunters. Too many hunters to count, actually. Rosella had petitioned for her father's release. She had seen the way he had become contrite, and how he had been withering away. Ronnie had vetted for him alongside his wife, if a little grudgingly. He hated his father in law for what he had done to Rosella's childhood and the way, Ronnie believed, he had destroyed her life and view of herself. Ronnie had hardened more than anyone over the years, but Emmett himself was only a little behind him on that count.

"Are you okay?" Caitlin asked, primly adjusting her glasses. Her scarlet lips against her extremely pale skin made her seem even more unnerved. Samara whipped around to meet her gaze, startled by her wife's sudden question. Caitlin only raised an eyebrow. "Samara?"

"I'm alright," She lied. Caitlin scowled, unconvinced. Samara then shook her head sadly. More than anything, she was fearing for their future. "Okay...but...what if people actually believe this? Any of it? About us, about Salem? If they do...wouldn't that be playing right into their hands? We can't...we can't afford another fall. Not now. Not now that things are returning to normal."

Caitlin was silent for a long moment. She had no idea what to say, nor how to respond. It was all too much to consider, even for her.

"If that's the case, and Salem is attempting to orchestrate an attack against our kingdom," She started slowly. "Then we must trust Elizabeth to give us permission for some sort of...united force. And, of course, I would need my dad to organize it."

Samara looked down at her heels for a long time. "Is this the time for regular process when the world we live in is as fucked up as it already is...as fucked up as Ivy is becoming?"

Caitlin frowned at the thought of her sister but then sighed heavily. "Elizabeth is far from perfect, but she's mantained her job, her sanity, and the trust of the kingdom through all these years. And she possess her fair share of combat experience. That should mean something. We just have to play it safe until everything is ready. We will live to see the new world, my love. I promise."

Samara smiled weakly and tightly embraced her wife, who patted her shoulder. "Thank you, Cat." She whispered.

* * *

**_February 12th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:22 PM_**

Unusual as it was to have the Atlesian President in the press room of the manor with so many others, Elizabeth Morell was standing at one of five podiums, hers being the center, with the others being occupied by the leaders of Vale, Mistral, Menagerie and Vacuo. Furthest from her was the suddenly instated Prime Minister of Vacuo, Andrew Westbrook, who had been a high ranking member of the Vacuoian Council long before Varna had taken power. He was a withered and ancient old man, much like Varna's own predecessor had been nearly thirty years before, and his greeting to Morell had been colder than her own icy stare.

This was markedly different from President Marianne Ordelia of Vale, who had embraced Morell as an old friend (which was graciously mimicked by Morell herself). They were the only two women in the room, given that Menagerie was still led by High Chieftain Ghira Belladonna. He seemed less than thrilled to see Morell, and they spoke almost as coldly as she had with Westbrook. The last to arrive was Mistral's acting leader, George Landing. Unlike Vacuo, where the kingdom had been unstable for a long time, Mistral's last leader had died in office (he had tried to wrestle a bull) and Landing was first in the line of succession and set to serve only until the Mistrali snap election in December, assuming he wasn't elected. After they greeted the people, they slipped away and into the president's personal office. Once they were certain they were alone and all the others had sat down, Elizabeth prepared herself to speak.

"With just a week until the Vytal Festival, I'm sure everyone has a lot of questions about how the event will be handled but, I assure you, everything will be fine," Elizabeth finally said calmly. "We plan to move forward as diplomatically as ever."

"Before we go any further into this, however, I would like to thank President Morell for being the first world leader to include Menagerie in the Vytal Festival," Ghira put in, smiling amicably at her. "We're hoping this will be another step in the right direction. Though I admit I'm not confortable with the story of Varna's assassination."

"A year ago, I would have said the same thing," Landing countered uncomfortably. "I disagree now, however, given that it was Morell who warned the entire world of threats it faces."

Westbrook stiffened, remembering what the matriarch of house Xiao Long-Rose-Branwen had told them.

"Is that so? No offense, Madame Morell, but I still find quite hard to believe much of the information you provided earlier this year about…" Westbrook took in a deep breath. "About...Salem. Was that her name?"

"I can't blame you, sometimes I wonder as well if the the things I know — the things I've found — were only part of some twisted dream. But...if I can prove that I never broke the law," Morell started slowly, reaching for the file on Varna in her desk. "Do you promise not to tell another soul what you saw?"

Westbrook snorted. "As if they would believe me anyways."

Elizabeth deftly handed him the file and waited, silent with the other three leaders while Westbrook overlooked the file. After several minutes of agonising wait, he shut the file, set it back on Elizabeth's desk, and tapped his fingers together in thought just in front of his face.

"You received a warrant for arrest from the Vytal Union dependant upon the contingency that you had solid evidence against her that would have — regardless of the scenario would expel Varna from power after proof of her ties to Cinder Fall were — confirmed her to be a quote un quote danger to society at large, a criteria you satisfied," He stated coldly. "The official report, I might add, states that she resisted arrest and attempted to murder those present, which you claim resulted in her assassination by the hands of General James Ironwood's second daughter, Ivory."

Ordelia frowned. "Official?" She repeated. "Are there no day-of records?"

"You do have a long standing personal grudge against Varna, too," Ghira said, eyeing Elizabeth sharply. "Was this politically motivated? Perhaps to better Atlas' own interests?"

Elizabeth took in a sharp breath. She was not used to being questioned by anyone, much less by people she didn't typically view to be as powerful as herself.

"At the end of the day, Varna was a criminal wanted in all of Remnant," Elizabeth crossed her arms and started to pace. "Her death was very close to being internationally authorized, and, under normal circumstances, she would have been taken alive normally. But...the team of hunters we sent against her couldn't risk more, or she would reunite with her wretched master. When she attacked them, they had no choice but to kill her. To your other question: the United Kingdom of Atlas has interests over allies. We have always operated that way and, to answer your tertiary question, I did not make the decision, contrary to my public face. The DFAMA's security council did...and it is not in my power to overrule them."

"Karissa Mar, Emmeline Ciel, and Blake Adel," Ghira muttered, with a mix of respect and fear. "They're brilliant…but damn them."

"They are that body's three most ranking members," Elizabeth confirmed, ignoring his last comment. "But even the lower ranks in the security council have great political power. Alongside the legislature passing a formal declaration of war, we'll need it — need them — in order to finally organize a crusade against Salem. If we don't manage that...then we're all going to die."

* * *

**_February 19th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_6:31 PM_**

Amity Arena was full as always, with nearly a thousand people anxious to watch huntsmen in training beat the shit out of each other. Per usual, people from all of Remnant's major kingdoms were waiting excitedly for the fights to begin. There was still, of course, much tension in the air from the actions taken by Atlas' president but, for the briefest of moments, that was left forgotten. The world leaders were all watching, separated far from the people in the stands, and they kept a cool, wary distance from each other. It was much unlike how they had been during the press conference but, because they knew everyone would be watching, they didn't act as they had behind closed doors. Behind closed doors, they were downright nasty and they had more than a few bones to pick with each other. Regardless, their civility was perfectly maintained and the attention was given to the people who we're about to fight. Elizabeth watched everything with narrow eyes, leaning forward slightly with pursed, narrow lips. She was quite certain they had far more important things to worry about than the damn Vytal Festival but she had kept her mouth shut. For a variety of reasons, she had no choice. It was going to be a rather gruelling day, but Elizabeth put up with it. She had to.

"And now we'll begin the selection process for the first battle of the teams round! I'm Dr. Bartholomew Oobleck, Beacon Academy's very own history professor, here with Emmett Schnee to bring you the latest commentary on the matches."

Emmett leaned forward to the microphone, awkwardly adjusting his glasses before talking. Technically, given that Atlas was host kingdom, another one of his collegues (probably Spencer) should be the other one to comment on the matches, but, as they were unable to come and since Port, Glynda, and Ozpin were with Beacon's students, Oobleck was the best substitute. He, as fate would have it, was far more enthusiastic about the whole damn thing than Emmett could ever hope to even try to feign.

"I had nothing to do with this," He said, laughing nervously. "I'm here against my will, albeit still proud to be able to comment on these matches. The future of Remnant is in front of us and I'm excited to see their potential."

"What's this?" Oobleck turned around in confusion upon receiving a notification from the organisers. "Apparently the official battles are being delayed for an exhibition match...between two active hunting teams: FNKI and RWBY!"

Emmett chuckled. "And we taught them ourselves just ten years ago. Well, me FNKI and you RWBY."

"Right on," Oobleck said, cracking his knuckles as the veteran teams stepped out onto the arena and waved to the crowd. "They are both quite famous in their own rights now and have improved their skills much over years. Shall we begin with the competitor introductions?"

Emmett rolled his eyes, although he couldn't help but chuckle at his collegues' enthusiasm for what was about to come.

"Is that necessary?" He sent Oobleck a funny look. " It's just an exhibition, if a bit of a spectacular one."

High up in the stands in the top box, Elizabeth snorted. While she was pleased to see her stepdaughter demonstrate her power, she maintained quite a few reservations. She had her personal tensions with Emmett and his wife too.

"Introductions are always necessary," Oobleck declared, leaning forward. "Team RWBY graduated from Beacon Academy after their first year due to their contributions in helping keep people safe during the Fall of the Academy. Since then, they've worked both independently and with the Atlesian Council as government contractors."

Team RWBY entered, then quickly followed by Team FNKI. All eight of the hunters changed a lot over the years. By no means were they the adorable, bubbling teenage prodigies that were still in the depths of training. Nor were the naïveté stricken young adults who still didn't know the real world and just went around hoping to make a difference. In every way imaginable, they had changed so much. For their parents, it was almost heartbreaking to see. Ronnie Ciel and Rosella Katt felt guilty upon seeing Neon step into the arena, looking, for a moment, more like an assassin than like the daughter they had always loved and kept safe. They were certainly not the only ones. With regard to the hunters, it was quite clear that their physiques were much more refined, their weapons deadlier than ever, and their weapons upgraded to top notch to destroy entire swarms of grimm in seconds. Ivori was the most stoic of Team FNKI and, other than Kobalt, who clearly gave no fucks, he seemed completely detached. Flynt was pumped for the fight but Neon stopped to meet her parents' anxious gazes. She couldn't shake the feeling something was wrong, especially since Ivy had returned from Vacuo.

"LET THE FIGHT BEGIN!" Emmett yelled, anxious to see Weiss fight again. He was early, of course, but (as his wife could tell anyone for any number of things, including some of their more intimate moments) he was habitually early when it came to everything.

Team RWBY shared a few knowing smirks and Weiss, fully aware of her uncle's weirdness, prepared her dust-infused sword from her side. Ruby excitedly unfolded Crescent Rose, much to the glee of the crowd, and she smacked hands with her wife. Yang turned towards the cameras and wildly stuck out her tongue and waved her hands, firing a few shots from her gauntlets for the sake of a show. Blake rolled her eyes and pulled out her guns. She didn't particularly like being paraded out before the kingdom that had always treated her people like scum for their entertainment. Even after all these years, she still resented Atlas and hated their leadership. Her feelings towards Elizabeth, for instance, were mixed at best. She didn't understand how their friends could love the kingdom they grew up in, but she especially questioned Neon. How could she love her father after everything he had let happen? How could her mother love a man like Ronnie Ciel? Blake couldn't bring herself to say it, but she really hated Ronnie fucking Ciel.

"Fight!"

The teams set into their stances. They were all prepared to fight, to show the world everything that they —

"What the hell?" Emmett exclaimed. "How did she —"

The eight hunters all turned around in shock upon seeing Ivy Ironwood step into the stadium. Yet something about her seemed different. They all knew she had been deeply affected, deeply fractured by what had happened between her and Varna. Her natural eye color had changed, too. Since she had taken the powers of the Summer Maiden, she had unraveled. Her mother and father had been more and more restrictive, both about her and her daughter. She hadn't been alone with her little girl in so long. It seemed impossible to even tuck her in without everyone wanting to watch her mother her own daughter. Her old anger towards her sister about her child being "a symbol of treason" had begun to rise in her again. Her hatred of her brother's jocular nature when they world was so bleak had returned too. Since she had fully embraced the true power of her mantle as the Summer Maiden, Ivy's eyes had turned a bright amber. She didn't know it (or perhaps ignored it) but, apart from her pale blonde hair, she looked like the woman her mother had killed years before: Cinder Fall. Up in the stands, and though she didn't know it, her daughter quivered into her grandparents in fear. Ivy tossed her hair over her shoulder and threw a tirade of knives at all of them, snagging onto their clothes and temporarily pinning all eight hunters to the ground.

"This party's over," Ivy said, her eyes flaring and a giggle escaping her lips. "For all of you."

* * *

**Author's Note: I'm here! I'm alive! And, yes, I promise I will finish this story! Lots of love to Emil ( merendinoemiliano) for his help in writing this chapter! I couldn't have done it without him and his input writing!**

**~xoxo SemblanceOfInvisibility**


	90. Pay the Price

**_February 19th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_8:24 PM_**

Ivory Ironwood had silenced the crowd with ease and her friends were in the throws of untangling themselves from her knives. It was a more difficult process than one night expect, given how powerful all of them were, but Ivy had always been nothing if not skilful and a step ahead. Emmett and Oobleck were almost too stunned to comment. James and Glynda, up in the stands, were almost too horrified to react, both of them simply trying to calm their young granddaughter who seemed scared of her mother. Never before had Hope expressed any form of fear towards or with regard to her mother. It was a jarring sight, to say the least. All of the world leaders in the top box began to begin furiously questioning Morell but it became quickly apparent that Elizabeth had no idea what was happening. Only a few rows behind James and Glynda, Emmeline Ciel stood up in objection, her eyes narrow when she looked down upon Ivy. This was a girl she had known since her birth, and yet she felt utterly unpredictable. In retrospect, there were signs. Her embracing of her powers so quickly after taking them. Her lack of care regarding her newly amber eyes. The unkempt manner suggested by her clothes (which showed spots of dirt and dust) and her obviously tangled platinum blonde hair.

"We're not playing games anymore," Ivy informed the crowd, using her powers as the Summer Maiden to draw her weapons back into her cloak while still restraining her friends. "Not when we have important matters at hand. Not when we've been lied to from the start."

Next to his mother, who had only brought him to the Vytal Festival because Emmett had thought it would be good for him to get out of the house, nearly seventeen year old Eddie Ciel grimaced uncomfortably, trying force himself not to puke. Everything about her was a bit off and had been for years but that quality was only amplified now. His mother reached over and set a hand to his shoulder.

"You are unauthorised to be in this area!" A few guards barked at her, approaching with guns drawn. "Cease and desist your —"

Ivy pulled out her own gun and shot one of them clean through the head. The others she merely knocked unconscious with magic. This time, Hope started to bawl into her grandmother, James started tearing down the stairs towards the arena, Eddie cursed, Glynda stared on in absolute disbelief, and Emmeline looked away. In the top box, most of the world leaders were quickly taken to safety. Morell, however, glowered forward.

"What have we done?" Elizabeth muttered to herself, clenching the window sill and not caring how much it pained her hands. "What have I done?"

Tai rushed into the room with their daughter, who could hardly believe what was happening to her half sister, cousin, and friends. Ivy noticed none of this, however, and stood her ground. If one paid enough attention, they would have been able to tell she had at least a few cigarettes already that day and had been drinking. Ivy had always been possessed of an unsurpassed tolerance for alcohol but, even for her, this seemed dangerously excessive. More to the point, she was clearly dangerous.

"We fucked ourselves over when we told the world the truth about its greatest threats," Ivy said, frowning. "And we fucked ourselves by giving her time to anticipate our moves. Not only that, but the Atlesian Council has been lying to the people for a long time. I believe the DFAMA and the security council will have quite a bit of explaining to do when I'm done here tonight."

"Don't…" Ruby croaked out. Her eyes were brimming with tears. She couldn't bear to see their friend of so many years this way.

"I was right. All along...even when I thought you weren't you were always the traitor."

Ivy whipped around upon seeing her twin sister, who had by the looks of it forced her way into the commentators broadcasting box, appear on the screen, her extremely pale skin, red lipstick, glasses, and faintly greying brown hair contrasting so boldly that it made her almost as menacing as her sister. Her vibrant green eyes were the first indication that her will, unlike her sister's, was unbroken.

"I am not a traitor," Ivy snapped.

"You just killed Atlesian military personnel, if the news and what I — as well as everyone watching or present — just saw is not somehow a terrible fabrication," Caitlin said dryly, a dark edge to her voice that made Ivy clench her jaw in rage. "You openly murdered someone on international broadcast television and you claim to be in the right. You're out of your mind. Go home and take care of yourself before they make you stand trial."

"Shove it," Ivy warned her. She then turned back to the crowd and knocked the new guards rushing at her unconscious. "I should have realised a long time ago that we don't have a plan to defeat Her...but I didn't. I know now that, if we did, this would have been over as soon as the world knew. Morell was wrong. We can't win. Not like this."

Whispers sprung up in the crowd. While it was apparent to them all that she was at least a bit unhinged, they all were uncomfortable with her words. If Ivy's words held true, then it was very likely the world would collapse beneath them. Still up in the top box, Elizabeth Morell found herself never angrier. In her mind, she began to calculate the best way to subdue Ivy if it came to that. Worldwide, Atlas had nearly a million troops both active and in reserve. They were the most populous kingdom after Mistral and Vacuo with a population of nearly three billion. In the capital alone, there were upwards of twenty million people. Also in the capital were thirty two thousand troops, most of them stationed for defense, intel, and work in the DFAMA. Still, Elizabeth knew she could easily mobilise the active duty members of the military in the city to subdue Ivy. Yet it remained that she did not want to. Elizabeth hated using the full extent of her power, especially in situations that could be construed as personal, which this obviously would be. Sick to her stomach, Elizabeth ignored all the chaotic words being spoken around her, asking if she wanted to act, or if she needed to be taken to safety. This, however unusual as it was, would be one of the few times she waited the situation out.

"The Darkness is immortal," Ivy finally got out. She was too afraid to use the witch's name, but everyone knew to whom she was referring. "Even if we could defeat her, she could only be sealed away."

"Ivory! That's enough!"

Ivy whipped around in shock and, when she did, she saw her father enter the arena opposite her. He did not have his weapon drawn but he still slowly approached her. Her friends, all of whom were still restrained, watched in horror, expecting Ivy to shoot him but she didn't. Ivy did nothing and crossed her arms, glaring at her father. By all means, the sentiment of distaste was shared. James could hardly believe he was looking at the same woman who had once been a sweet, giggly two year old. He couldn't believe this was his daughter.

"You know it too," Ivy said, her voice shaking a little. "That's why you were so opposed to what they did to mom...isn't it?"

"Ivy —" James began dangerously.

"Even with all of the maidens, there would never be enough magic power to seal Her away," Ivy cut across. "If we ever wanted any hope of sealing Her, we'd need the power of a God. That's what Jinn told me. Either way, the world will be destroyed before we could save anything. Mom's sacrifice —"

"Arrest her!" Emmeline ordered, stepping onto the arena herself and glowering at Ivy. She had never been so upset, so pissed, at her goddaughter. "She's too dangerous to be allowed to —"

"I thought you were on my side," Ivy snapped. "You hadn't wanted my mother to become the Fall Maiden! You had seen how Cristal suffered because of it, being the Winter Maiden! You even supported me when I was pregnant even though you hated the father and thought I had made a mistake! You were more like family than the rest of them, even when —"

"I've made enough mistakes with my position and I will not let this be another moment where I failed the people," Emmeline spoke both as if she hated herself and the words. "I will not stand beside someone who will risk more lives for naught."

Ivy shook her head. "That's what you don't understand. This isn't a war we can win and it never was. Ozpin knows it better than anyone. We would never have been involved if he were capable of ending this and, so far as I can tell, he's the only person alive with the powers of a God resting within him."

Emmeline flinched and jumped back upon Ivy opening fire on the men who had come to arrest her. James stepped back too.

"You can't reason with her," Emmeline gently told him, briefly resting her hand on his shoulder. When she dropped it, her gaze hardened on Ivy. "Go. She's your daughter. You shouldn't have to fight her."

James was too stunned to immediately react. He watched numbly as Emmeline stepped forward and pulled out her gun on Ivy. The unhinged woman stared down the barrel unflinchingly.

"You won't shoot me," Ivy said simply. "You may have killed Sienna Khan and plenty of others in cold blood, but you would never do that to me. I'm your child as much as your own flesh and blood are. You might as well be pointing that at Samara, Eddie, or Lysithea."

"You just publicly committed about seven different murders in succession," Emmeline coldly replied. "You will be convicted, likely, as a mass shooter. I'm sure other charges will be brought against you as well. And since you have so openly revealed your status as the Summer Maiden, it seems, too, that I made a mistake. You weren't suited for this. Perhaps you never were."

Ivy pulled her own gun out and aimed it at Emmeline, her threat far more real than her godmother's. Even Emmeline wasn't sure that Ivy wouldn't open fire on her.

"I'll reiterate," Ivy said, her eyes narrow. "You and I aren't much different. You've killed plenty of people and never faced consequence for it. The only difference between us is that you can do whatever the hell you damn well please because you're Edward Ciel's daughter."

Emmeline bristled at the mention of her father. Even all these years later, his death cut deep for her, Ronnie, and Spencer.

"If we're all going to die either way, I think we might as well have fun while we're still around to know what fun is," Ivy said, her gaze not once faltering from her godmother's. "Why not give into our best inhibitions? The truth is, we don't know if we'll have a tomorrow no matter what they say...no matter what Morell pretends."

"Drop your weapons, now. That is an order I will not repeat."

The subject of her words stepped out into the arena as well. Her dark grey hair was still perfectly piled on her head, and her black blazer and dress pants were perfectly pressed, just like the gold blouse beneath and her dark silver heels. Ivy knew just as well as Emmeline that Elizabeth Morell had a gun hidden in her blazer but she didn't care. It had been years since Morell had fought anything, after all.

"Release the hunters," Elizabeth went on when Emmeline dropped her gun and kicked Ivy sharply enough in the side to force her to drop hers. Ivy cursed when Emmeline pinned her arms behind her back. "And ensure that Ivory Ironwood is taken into custody. I presume her actions will result at least in court martial."

Ivy said nothing, looking rather subdued for a moment. Elizabeth's countenance took on a rather smug appearance, one that deeply infuriated her. Her power as the Summer Maiden still active and being what restrained her friends, Ivy released them but only to allow herself more unfettered acesss to her own powers. In a matter of seconds, Ivy burned her way out of Emmeline's grasp and knocked her and Elizabeth harshly to the ground. She cared not that the kingdom — no, the world — was watching. She cared not that what she was doing meant she would have to abandon her daughter for a little while. She fully believed Hope would understand, that she would see Ivy had done everything to give her a world better than the one they lived in since she had found out she was pregnant. In a flash of light and with a terrible explosion, Ivy vanished into thin air. She only briefly returned to her home and ransacked the place.

Ivy wasn't a fool; she didn't take a car and she was using her semblance to disguise her appearance after she left. She could have been anyone, walking through the city streets. She had plenty of money in an off-shore account that she had started when Hope had been born. She was going back to Vacuo, to the place where she was sure all of this bullshit had begun. At the very least, Vacuo was where it had started for her. Ivy wasn't her sister, who overwhelmed people with honesty or her brother who played every game he could to come out on top. She wasn't her parents, either, both of whom had given everything and just about lost everything in the fight against Salem. Ivy felt pangs of regret when she thought of her family (excepting her sister, with whom she was angry for proving how fragile their reconciliation had been) but she set them aside. She had far more pressing concerns. When she would arrive in Vacuo, she had no idea what to do other than — somehow — get her hands on the sword of destruction. If she couldn't, she knew she wouldn't last out there, no matter how she tried to blend into the kingdom. She sighed heavily, walking through the streets as if she herself were merely a shadow. Silently, she questioned if this were any way to live.

"You."

Ivy whipped around, having stepped into an alleyway. She looked nothing like herself but it was clear — whoever this woman was — that they knew exactly who she was and what she had done. Ivy supposed there was some irony in taking on an appearance so similar to Ashlynn's that it could be taken as unnerving, but she hadn't thought it to be a traceable look. This woman was pale as death itself, and had long hair that seemed to dance in the moonlight, reflecting the faint colors the shattered moon gave off. But, still, there was something about her that wasn't right, even if Ivy couldn't place it.

"Who thought James Ironwood's own child could do something so bold," The woman approached her and snatched her by the collar of her coat. "You're never going to get the same praise as the rest of your family, no matter what you do. No wonder you chose to look like her."

"Who the hell are you?" Ivy hissed, her eyes dangerously flaring.

"The Darkness."

Those were the last words she had wanted to hear and, terrifyingly, she did not believe this woman — if they were indeed a woman — to be lying.


	91. Trip to Hell

**_February 20th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:21 PM_**

"I don't know what I'm going to do."

Elizabeth tightened her hands around the window sill, not looking at her husband who was sitting on the edge of their bed. Tai was experimenting with some weaponry, per usual, and, while Elizabeth would usually be annoyed about the oil and grime he could get on the sheets, she didn't care. What had happened at the Vytal Festival had been perhaps the worst blunder in her political career, up to and including when Ashlynn Schnee had been holding a knife to her throat. The entire world, she was sure, saw her kingdom and (to her mind, far worse) her governance as inexcusably weak. Ivy had posed a terrible threat and she had slipped through their fingers. Embarrassing was so weak a word to depict the scenario that it defied reason. Elizabeth hated the way people had stared at her, the way she had been able to do nothing by the way of damage control. Even more infuriating was the fact that Ivy had all but disappeared from the face of the world in the aftermath of the incident she had caused. Elizabeth felt sick every time she thought about it. Ivy had already openly killed multiple people. It would only be a matter of time, Elizabeth believed, until she kept killing for the sake of perverse pleasure.

"Liz…" Tai shook his head, setting his handiwork aside. "You are not at fault for anything to do with what happened at the Vytal Festival. Ivy's choices were her own, and, to be perfectly honest, I'm just glad you came out of it all alive and uninjured."

Elizabeth knew he was right, and the rather tight nod she gave him said exactly so. It still bothered her, nonetheless, that none of them had been able to see what had been in front of them all along. Emmeline had been as horrified and angry as anyone. James and Glynda had been pissed. The only common thread was the abject shock that had reverberated through all of them. Elizabeth swore to herself that things had never been meant to go that way, but she could not explain her way out of what happened the way she would with any other situation. It was too volatile and confusing for her to make a proper judgement. At the end of the day, all Elizabeth knew for certain was that Ivy Ironwood had reached the end of her rope long before they had seen the proof. No one kills so easily if they aren't well beyond their sanity. Elizabeth was well aware of all Ivy had suffered both in the past and of late but she had no sympathy. Elizabeth Morell no longer believed she was pitiable. All she wanted was to arrest and jail her.

"Be that as it may, I am never going to be able to handle this diplomatically until the issue of her whereabouts is resolved and there is no way she is still in the kingdom, of that I'm certain," Elizabeth shook her head, looking particularly resigned to the way things had changed in just the span of a few days, although she supposed it all probably went back to Varna's assassination. "Ivy would have been found by now if she were still here. She may be a powerful shape shifter, but we've found people even stronger than her within hours. Ivy has gone off the grid, and we may never find her alive or even dead now."

Tai grimaced. "Don't think so darkly, Eliza."

"How can I not?" She snapped. "Everything is at stake here in this fucking war! How else am I supposed to think?"

Tai was silent. He had no answer.

"Things aren't going to get better, certainly not from here," Elizabeth sighed heavily, her hands turning white from the force of them against the window sill. "We are losing the war, Tai and, no matter what we do and no matter what Ozpin says, I think we're going to lose...we aren't strong enough."

Tai shook his head. "If you believe that so much, Eliza," He slowly began. "The why the hell are still fighting after all this time?"

* * *

**_February 28th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:54 PM_**

"I still can't believe what happened."

"You can't? Blake, be honest with yourself."

"Not in the mood, princess."

"Blake —"

"I don't want to hear it, Ruby. Ivy betrayed all of us and it's unbelievable."

"Well, whatever it is, it's shitty."

"Always the optimist, Yang."

"As if we need optimism right now."

"You're one to talk! You've always been the brooding type!"

"Shut up, Weiss! Haven't you said enough unhelpful things today?"

"Don't you dare speak to me that way!"

"Don't I dare? Are you out of your fucking mind? This is war, not a ball!"

"She knows that —"

"Don't you try and defend her, Ruby! Just because you love her...well, let's just say love is never the right reason to rationalise the bullshit people spew!"

"I'm spewing bullshit? You're the one who acts like this was always going happen when it wasn't before we killed Varna!"

"We all knew Ivy was always a bit unstable! I don't see why we're all pretending to be surprised because it isn't getting us anywhere!"

"No, you aren't getting us anywhere!"

"Weiss! Can't you give it a rest?"

"No. Yang, if she's going to be like this then maybe we'd be better off with her running back home to Menagerie! Maybe she can play with a laser pointer!"

The blonde huntress whipped around to glare at Weiss, who barely batted an eyelash. All of them were on were on edge and to put their situation into such simple terms would be putting it lightly. Ruby stared at her wife in disbelief at her harsh words for their teammate and as a result was rendered speechless. Yang kept twitching as if she wanted to fight Weiss for what she had said, and Blake wasn't looking at any of them.

"You're horrible," Yang growled. "And I thought you weren't like that anymore. Are you still a daddy's girl through and through?"

Weiss was so angry in that moment that she could have slapped her. Instead, however, she decided to maintain her composure. Gracefully and with as perfect poise as always, Weiss stood up indignantly and left the room fuming. Her heels clicked against the floor in an angry rhythm, one that distinctly reminded Yang of Elizabeth. The thought only made her angrier. Weiss had plucked a nerve, which Blake and Ruby were sure had been her intention. As for Yang, she didn't give a damn about intention when people refused to apologise.

"What a bitch," Yang muttered. "I haven't hated her this much in a long time. Who knew she could still be so horrible and self righteous?"

"I think we're all just set off," Ruby quietly mused. She feared they were fraying at the seams, and, with things as bad as they were, she didn't want to lose her teammates. Any of them, and most certainly not her wife. "It's been a hard few months for all of us. I think she just needs some time to cool down."

Yang frowned. "I sure hope you're right," She muttered, having little faith in Weiss for that particular moment. "If you're not, we're going to need to replace the ice princess."

"You can't replace people," Blake put in, her voice so soft that they weren't sure, for a brief few seconds, if she had spoken at all. When they realised she had, they waited for her to go on. "People are too susceptible to change that we just can't mimic others for long and do it right. Probably for the best. Too much spot on mimicry would give me the creeps."

"Yeah," Yang said mildly. "But what are we going to do about this?"

"I don't know," Blake said. Truthfully, she wasn't entirely sure she cared.

"She'll come back," Ruby said, more for herself than for them. "I'm sure of it."

* * *

**_March 2nd, 1998_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:25 PM_**

Ashlynn Schnee hated her sisters just a little less than she hated her brother. Emmett was fucking perfect in their father's eyes, whereas she was the eldest and the failure of the family. Ashlynn scowled at herself, recalling the time her mother had called her a monster. Bitterly, she recalled how Cristal had writhed under their father's beatings when she, on rare occasion, stepped out of the lines that he had drawn for them. Irritably, she thought of how Willow had managed to escape with Jacques, who might as well have whisked her away like fucking sleeping beauty. Ashlynn's fingers began to curl under, however, when she thought about all of the dumb, stupid shit Emmett pulled and somehow kept getting away with. Even now that he was getting older and a little less of a pain in the ass, it was hard for her not to hate him. Ashlynn fully believed their father thought Emmett even _breathed_ better than the rest of them. It was absolutely fucking obnoxious. No wonder he was such a brat. Ashlynn prided herself far more than she ever got credit for and she believed it was proper compensation for being less than what her parents had expected of their first born. It was a fact, so far as she was concerned. Nicholas could prefer Emmett until the rapture and Ashlynn would hate it.

"Chrissy!" Ashlynn stepped out into the hallway and smirked at her sister, who recoiled when she looped her arm in hers. "I was looking for my favorite slut. You just getting home?"

Cristal scowled at her. "Leave me alone. I get enough shit about my life from dad as it is and I'd be happier if you didn't pile on."

Ashlynn laughed. "But, you see, that's the fun part. Try it with Emmett. I'm sure you'd see it my way after that."

Emmett, who had been in their father's study and only just walked out when he heard them, jumped back and shut the door before he stared fearfully at Ashlynn. He wasn't afraid of Cristal (truth be told, he missed the times from when they had been little and practiced piano together or had drawn or done homework) but Ashlynn had always been another matter. He thought (correctly) that she was untamed and a bit of demonic bitch. She had done plenty of horrible things to him over the years (ranging from crickets in his soda to shooting at his bed frame to wake him up) and he was sure she thoroughly enjoyed each and every one of them. He was at a loss for why. Emmett wondered, as did Willow and Cristal despite neither of them saying anything on the subject, if Ashlynn were clinically insane.

Years later, he'd find that out to be true under the absolute worst circumstances imaginable.

"What do you want?" He bitterly asked. Silently, Cristal admired how unfazed he was. If their positions were reversed, she was sure she would be a quivering mess.

"Your trust fund," Ashlynn jeered with a menacing twinkle in her eyes. "Except I don't think I'll ever get it...unless you're dead, of course, but you seem too healthy for that."

"Don't make those jokes," Cristal said, squirming out of her sister's arm. "Emmett's our brother!"

Ashlynn frowned. When she glanced out at the gardens, Emmett mouthed the words thank you to Cristal. She weakly smiled in reply but found herself worried about him because of Ashlynn. She tried to tell herself it was stupid. Ashlynn would never kill anyone, would she?

"Don't defend him."

"He's just a kid," Cristal countered weakly.

"I'm not —" Emmett started, turning red, fidgeting with his glasses and long hair, and looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Doesn't matter to me," Ashlynn smiled darkly at him. "You can try to best me, but you never will. Got it? I'll even outlive you."

Ironically enough, she had been nothing short of categorically wrong about him and about the future she saw for herself.

* * *

**_March 15th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_2:20 PM_**

Coercion. It was the only word Ivy Ironwood could think of to describe her present situation and she utterly loathed it. She had meant only to cause distruption that would force people to think. She had been going to take a bit of time to herself to figure shit out. She had meant to step away from her daughter for a little while. Much more importantly, Ivy had been trying to take a step back from her sister. That sentiment was truer than it ever had been. As for her parents and brother, Ivy had wanted to get away from them too. She thought her brother in particular had become judgemental and sanctimonious, albeit better than their sister, to Ivy, because he never had been as outspoken and obnoxious. Ivy wanted to break every damn thing in her hotel room, no matter how expensive the place she was all but imprisoned in was. It was a fucking hell for her. It was also a disgusting reminder of her increasingly precarious circumstances. Now, she had to play nice or be put through excruciating pain that she could only hope would kill her. Hope. Ivy gritted her teeth as she thought of her daughter. She was only putting up with this bullshit for her sake, for the sake of keeping her away from harm. In the most realistic view, Ivy only cared about herself and Hope.

In her personal view, however, things were far more convoluted. The shape-shifting ex huntress attributed Salem's choosing of her to be a cruel kink of fate, one that she thought would kill her if she didn't find even a small way to use the situation to her advantage. Ivy almost wanted the Feds from her home in Atlas to come after her and put her safely in super-maximum prison for the rest of her life. If anything, it certainly would be a kinder destiny than whatever awful and grand plans Salem — the Darkness incarnate — could possibly have in mind for her. Ivy knew little more about the woman who had whipped her out of the life she had only just then begun to carve for herself then she had when she had been in high school. No, Salem was everything but an open book. Her unpredictably was one of her most dangerous attributes and Ivy knew without even trying too hard to think straight that she couldn't ever win against her. All of the odds were stacked against her. So far as she was concerned, they had been for years. Ivy doubted anything about her historically shitty luck would change, with the exception of her no longer having wealthy parents to fall back on. Now more than ever, she was alone. Absolutely no one — not even her parents or their money — could save her.

Stepping out onto the balcony, Ivy stared out at the city below. The Vacuoian capital wasn't exactly the most prosperous of places, but it was probably the cheapest place in the world to mimic living like the über rich. Blowing irritably on her hair, Ivy reached into her jacket pocket for her lighter and a cigarette from the pack. When she realised she had left both inside, she angrily stormed back into the room the few feet it took, snatched both off the cramped desk, and went back outside before lighting up. Every muscle in her body began to slowly relax after the first draw. In her head, she was cursing her sister for every time she had told her to kick the habit Cate believed Ivy never should have taken up in the first place. It would certainly be fair to say that Ivy had been expressly angry with her twin sister of late. They were once again very much at odds and Ivy doubted her sister would ever try to really repair their relationship. Ivy scoffed, puffing smoke into the hazy air. She distinctly recalled one of the less-than flattering remarks her sister had made a few weeks prior. _Nothing's better than our trust funds and personal space, Ives, seriously let go of my arm._ They had been teasing each other at the time, but Ivy didn't find their old games very funny anymore.

Truth be told, she didn't find much very funny anymore.


	92. The Air in Your Lungs

**_March 17th_**

**_Schnee Family Manor_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:46 PM_**

Weiss walked through the halls of the manor, the place she had called home for so long, and the place she had felt most confined. She had never disliked a place more than this, and she wasn't sure why she was back here. There was nothing worth remembering, save for a few memories from her childhood. Baby Whitley, before his head had been twisted around by their father and before Jacques had gone to jail. All the times she and Winter had played together before she had gone to Atlas Academy and later joined the military. The bliss they had been able to hide behind before her parents had grown to resent each other. Weiss bit her lip. Her mother had taken possession of the manor in the years after the divorce and Jacques imprisonment, which was the only reason she was here now. Weiss knew she had been putting off returning home just as much as her mother did. Willow didn't spend much time at the manor these days, but she knew Weiss was the most avoidest of all her children. Weiss knew it too.

"What are you doing here?"

Weiss jumped in her skin upon hearing another voice at the other end of the hall, only to turn and see the petite figure of her aunt. Cristal looked exhausted, her hair a little undone and (unusually) faintly streaked with grey. Weiss realised with a start that her aunt was probably as pained as she was to be in the manor. Cristal, Emmett, and her mother, after all, had suffered even more then she, Winter, and Whitley ever did.

"Couldn't I ask you the same thing?"

Weiss slowly stepped towards her aunt, who did the same. The two of them eyed each other for a while, never having had the closest relationship. Weiss had far more fond memories of her uncle than she did her aunt, and she could say something similar about her mother.

"I'm surprised you and your team haven't taken any jobs since what happened at the Vytal Festival," Cristal remarked, deciding it would be better to break the silence. "Has everything been alright with the four of you?"

Weiss sighed, a pool of shame bubbling up in her chest. "Not particularly," She admitted quietly. "We're all a bit...on edge."

Cristal raised an eyebrow, shifting the large file under her arm. "That sounds bad." She said mildly.

Weiss shook her head. "Apparently I said some things I shouldn't have. Ruby thinks I should just apologise and get it over with but I…"

"Weiss," Cristal said gently. "I doubt that's the whole story."

Weiss glanced out the windows through the hallway, not eager to admit her own mistake in this particular case. She knew full well that she had been cruel, but she kept telling herself she had needed to be to get her point across. Blake had been the least proactive of all of them for years, and, in Weiss' view, she seemed to drag them down. This seemed even more true in th aftermath of Varna's assassination.

"Don't patronise me," Weiss said, unable to make her voice even a little icy.

Cristal seemed rather amused. "If you think that's what I'm doing, then I'm sorry to tell you that you're wrong."

Weiss scowled. "I fucked up and we're not on good enough terms to take any missions. I'm not surprised but it's a pain in the ass."

"Then apologise," Cristal told her, reaching up to adjust her glasses. "If you 'fucked up' like you said."

Weiss frowned. "That's not helpful."

"I'm not trying to be helpful," Cristal replied. "I am trying to not let things get any worse."

* * *

**_March 23rd_**

**_City of Vale_**

**_Vale_**

**_Downtown_**

**_12:31 PM_**

Ozpin stared at all of the information before him, projected from his scroll. Things really were an unmitigated disaster, and Ozpin got the idea things weren't going to get better any time soon. Since the Vytal Festival, which had started horribly and only gotten a little better by the end. Ozpin supposed that any event that began with a mass shooting could end particularly well. He couldn't believe what had happened any more than the rest of them. Yes, he had known that Ivy had been unstable and suffering for a long time but he had never expected her to become a rogue like Raven. Another maiden had slipped through their fingers and was now a criminal at large. Ivory Glynda Ironwood-Goodwitch. Thirties, short, naturally platinum blonde with über pale skin and green eyes. One child, father technically unknown. Ozpin shook his head, still staring at the information projected before him. He hated the reality they were confronted with. Cristal had remarked that the situation was sad but Ozpin thought the word wasn't strong enough. Tragic was far more like.

Of course, Ozpin knew that they could quibble on what to call it until the day of the rapture and it wouldn't change anything. They were going to have to find a way to deal with the hand they had been given. If they did not, then they would have to be content with watching the world burn. Ozpin sighed, probing his forehead. He kept trying to figure out where they had gone wrong. He wanted a reason, any reason, to explain why Ivy would do something so awful as what she had. She had always been troubled, there was no doubt about that, but Ozpin had never thought there was even a hint of bloodlust in her. As it turned out, he was wrong. They had all seen the darkest parts of Ivy; she had willingly let it be broadcast to the entire world. Now, she had a massive target on her back and yet no one could find her. It was maddening. Ozpin had a much softer view on the matter than anyone else, including Glynda and James. He merely wanted to find Ivy and bring her back into the group, maybe find a use for her bloodlust. The rest of them wanted her locked up, either in psychiatrical care (Glynda, James, and Cristal) or super maximum security prison (Elizabeth, Emmett, Emmeline, Qrow, the entirety of the DFAMA). Ozpin doubted any of it would change anything.

So far as he could tell from what he had seen throughout all of his lives, people tended to stay at least some form of the miserable bastards they were their entire lives. That was just the way things ebbed and flowed. Ozpin knew, for instance, that Caitlin Ironwood, Ivy's twin sister, had trouble with commitment and had, though Samara was unaware, cheated on her wife several times. He also knew that Samara was impossible to convince, and that her views on people were absolute unless she caught them in the act. Emmett was very much that way too. As Ozpin recalled, there hadn't been a time when he hadn't viewed Emmeline as entirely pure. When people questioned her morality, Emmett had always swooped down on them in her defense. Even after she had killed Sienna Khan or ordered Varna's assassination, that had been true. Ozpin saw the same in his wife. Cristal dealt with the world in absolutes; a person was either on their side or not. He admired her for it, but sometimes he wondered if they were toeing a dangerous line between being good and claiming they were. In his experience, it was a very easy line to cross. He himself had done it more times than he cared to admit, and sacrificing Summer Rose had been one of them. Now, it seemed, Ivy had done it too.

* * *

**_April 1st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_5:23 PM_**

Elizabeth Morell stepped into the press room, having prepared for days to address the kingdom on the state of the search for Ivy Ironwood. There had been almost no progress; of course, given her ability to conceal herself, this wasn't entirely a surprise. On the other hand, it was utterly infuriating and Elizabeth wanted nothing more than to wake up only to find that Ivy Ironwood's head had been delivered to her on a silver plater. The Summer Maiden had been a concern to her since Emmeline had admitted to ordering the assassination and Elizabeth was never more annoyed to have been correct in her suspicions. The reporters that had already gathered in the press room eyed her expectantly, and Elizabeth schooled her features to appear perfectly calm and, more importantly, composed. There was no way in hell that she was going to lose everything she had worked for decades for over this. Ivy could hide all she wanted but they would find her and, when they did, it would be ugly. No one would go easy on her, not this time.

"I regret to inform the people that Ivory Ironwood has not yet been located and that the DFAMA, FBI, and CIA are struggling to make progress on this matter," Elizabeth began, her voice entirely devoid of emotion and as perfectly clipped as always. "All that we know for certain is that Miss Ironwood is not in the kingdom of Atlas at this time. While, of course, this situation is still developing and subject to change at any time, I can assure the people that her acts of terrorism against the kingdom will not go unpunished.

"Furthermore, the investigation into what occurred at the Vytal Festival has concluded that Ivory Ironwood paid off some of the organisers to allow herself access into the restricted areas of the 2040 Amity Coliseum, which has not been compromised since. The investigation also concluded that the Amity Satellite, ensuring international and national broadcasting and cellular service, was not compromised in the process. Those who conspired with her have been arrested.

"However," Elizabeth sighed heavily, an act which betrayed her true exhaustion. "We are in the process of updating our security systems, due to the concerns Miss Ironwood's actions have brought to light. At this time, everything is up in the air."

Elizabeth paused, looking over the crowd. Even when she had been the chair of the Atlesian National Security Council, she had hated giving public briefings. Where the people were always looking for hope, she had always found herself forcing them to confront utterly disgusting things that even she couldn't swallow half the time. This was one of the worst. Even though she appeared perfectly calm and at ease while she answered the questions she could or avoided what she had to keep silent for security reasons, she was sick to her stomach and wanted it all to be over. Tai and Karissa were really the only people aware of that, although Elizabeth supposed that Ronnie had probably figured it out over the years himself. Nevertheless, these were the moments that challenged her faith in Ozpin the most. How could the possibly win the war against Salem when their own people kept turning their backs on them? Just as much, Elizabeth found herself doubting people's intentions more and more and that extended even to herself. She worried she cared more about her career than deafeating Salem, and she was terrified that part of her believed it to be true. What scared her more had little to do with the war; it had to do with what could lay beyond it if they could win.

* * *

**_April 8th_**

**_Uncharted Territory_**

**_Mistrali Wastelands_**

**_Mistral_**

**_11:29 PM_**

The Spring Maiden hated plenty of people but, for the first time in decades, she hated Ozpin a little less than most. The news she had picked up on from within and outside of Atlas was disturbing, and her tribe was struggling to sustain itself day after day with both the increased grimm activity and the apparent bounty that Salem had placed on their heads. Raven gritted her teeth, her long, dirty fingernails curling into the palms of her hands and, eventually, oozing our tiny beads of blood. She wasn't in any mood to deal with either Salem or Ozpin, but she had decided he was, in fact, the lesser of the two evils. She didn't want to work with him again, let alone drag her tribe into working with him again, but it was seeming increasingly like she wouldn't have much of a choice in the matter. She kept reminding herself it would be for the purposes of survival only and nothing more, but even she knew that was a lie. She would be seeking out such an alliance to get revenge on Salem for picking off some of the members of her tribe she had valued the most.

Revenge. Raven's lips curled upward at the thought. She had no love for Ozpin or anyone in his group (although part of her wanted to fuck Emmett Schnee) but they certainly could be useful and persistent. She knew too that they would be able to help give her what she ultimately wanted and, after all, the enemy of her enemy was her friend. It was only logical, but it was annoying to say the least. Raven was not one to hold stock with alliances and firmly believed, much to her chagrin, that Karissa Mar and Emmeline Ciel's views on the matter were accurate. People had been annoyed when they had publicly stated that the kingdom of Atlas had interests and not allies, but Raven had found it amusingly accurate. After all, it wasn't as if anyone in Atlas was ever particularly motivated to support the other kingdoms unless they could benefit from it in some way. Atlesians, in Raven's view, we're notoriously ruthless and she couldn't help but hold a faint hint of admiration of them for it. They sought, they took, and they won. They came, they saw, the conquered. Veni, Vidi, Vici. Raven thought that might as well be their maxim. Atlesians were trigger happy shits, if nothing else. She snorted at the thought. Clearly, that had been proven the first day of the Vytal Festival.

"That girl has a death wish," Raven muttered, looking over a newspaper that had confirmed Ivy Ironwood's status as the Summer Maiden before setting it on fire with her own powers. "What the hell was she thinking?"

Raven was well aware that Ivy hadn't been thinking but, ultimately, she didn't care. What she did care about was the potential uses of someone as unhinged and willing to kill as her. Raven had a feeling that Ivy would return to the place she had stolen her powers for awhile to strengthen them and perhaps steal the Relic of Destruction for herself. Bearing that in mind, Raven realised it probably wouldn't take much to convince Ivy to come with her. She was an experienced Maiden and, just as much, she was an experienced killer that could keep her from walking into Salem's traps. With Ivy, Raven imagined the tribe would become untouchable and she wouldn't even need to go to Ozpin for help. Throwing back her head as she walked back into her tent, Raven laughed. It was almost too easy. She could have the Summer Maiden do almost anything if she promised to let her go her own way with some things. Unhinged people with power were always easy to manipulate. Raven knew this all too well. It seemed, now, she had to go to Vacuo.

* * *

**_April 14th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_10:32 AM_**

Samara Ciel-Schnee walked alongside her wife and niece through the halls of the largest upscale mall in the Atlesian capital. Hope had been upset since her mother had disappeared following the horrible things she did, and Samara knew as well as her wife that this was an attempt to make her feel better. For her part, Caitlin hadn't said a word about her sister in front of her niece. Samara was waiting for her wife's composure to break away. Caitlin had been rather angry at her sister since the shooting at the Vytal Festival and, admittedly, so had the entire family. Emmett had gone so far as to tell the DFAMA to hunt down Ivy for threatening his wife. Emmeline was less infuriated than any of them had expected, for the extenuating circumstances, but she had been trying to avoid making her public image worse. Samara and Lysithea knew just as well as Emmett did that it was only for Eddie's sake, but they were glad Emmeline was trying to restrain herself for once. After all, the last time she hadn't held back, people had been killed on her cold orders.

"How are you doing, Hope?" Caitlin asked her niece, who had been looking around at their lavish surroundings. "See anything else you like? Aunt Sammie and I are happy to get you whatever you want."

Hope bit her lip. "Is it really okay for me to get whatever I want?"

Caitlin smiled. "Of course it is, Hope. Unlike your mother, we never have to worry about money. We both have actual jobs and trust funds."

There goes her composure, Samara thought, rolling her eyes, Right down the river with any chance of reconciling with her sister.

Hope turned to her aunt, her eyes wide. "Why didn't my mom have a trust fund?"

"She did," Samara said, discreetly kicking her wife in the shin. "But she preferred to be self sufficient."

Caitlin snorted. "She got cut off, Sammie, don't lie to her. Hope deserves to know the truth, doesn't she?"

Samara hesitated. "Hope," She said, deciding to divert the subject rather than argue the point with her wife. "How about we take you to get some jewellery? We could get you a tiara, or some pearls."

Hope nodded, her face brightening instantly at the offer. "That sounds like fun!" She said. "Can I get some bracelets too?"

"You can have anything you want," Caitlin told her, squeezing her shoulder. "This is your day out after all."

Hope paused for a second in thought. "Can I get my ears pierced?"

"Sure," Samara sent her wife a pointed look when Hope wasn't looking. "Are you sure you're ready to do that? It does hurt a little, you know."

Hope shrugged. "It can't hurt that much, can it? Right?"

Caitlin considered that. "I promise you it doesn't hurt more than getting a tattoo," She replied.

Hope turned on her heel to look at her eagerly. "Ooo…" Hope said with a grin. "I want a tattoo too!"

"No," Samara said shortly. "You are far too young to get a tattoo, Hope."

Hope sighed. "I guess that was worth a shot…" She muttered.

Samara shot her wife another pointed look. She had been worried since Caitlin had suggested taking Hope out that she would spoil her, and it was clear she was doing exactly that. Hope had been underprivileged for essentially her entire life, but Samara thought this was overkill. Samara hated the thought maybe her wife was exactly like Ivy had once said: a rich girl gone too far.


	93. Wingless

**_April 20th_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_11:57 AM_**

"You beckoned us?"

Caitlin smirked, kissed her wife's cheek, and then set her oversized purse down on the middle of the coffee table. The crash that accompanied this amused Samara, seemed to satisfy her wife, and startled Team RWBY. Samara knew that had been her wife's intended effect, and the two of them shared a long look that suggested their friends were too easily startled. Ruby kept this nervous glint in her eyes, and her fingers jumped up and down in her lap. All of her senses had been heightened in the last few weeks, the last few months even, and she hated how her skin was always crawling. Weiss sat beside her, eyeing her cousin and friend curiously. The things her aunt Cristal had said to her had thrown her for a loop and, while she hadn't apologised, there was a bit of understanding between herself, Blake, and Yang now. Blake had been indifferent since the argument, and, even now, she didn't seem to care much about what happened. Yang, however, leaned forward expectantly with a sinister grin.

"Come on," Yang proded, flipping her hair over her shoulder. "Please tell me you've got some idea of where she went. You said you two did."

Samara nodded. "We do," She said, patting her wife's shoulder.

"Alright," Caitlin started, reaching for her purse. "Ivy may be stark raving mad right now, but she's always been that way," The Atlesian prosecutor pulled out a map and several pins from her purse, to the shock of everyone but her wife. "My guess," She said, stabbing pins into a few strategic locations. "Is that Ivy would go either to Mistral or Vacuo, likely to lay low until she can figure something out. There's a possibility she'd take her chances with the ruins of Mountain Glenn, but…"

Samara shook her head. "It's unlikely," She said, lightly resting her hand on her wife's shoulder. "But I see the possibility."

"Vacuo seems too obvious," Blake said mildly. "Too much is tied up there for her."

Caitlin smirked. "Which is exactly why I'd put my money on that. People are predictable, and Ivy is especially predictable."

Weiss frowned. "You aren't giving her enough credit. Ivy's lost it, sure, but —"

"You're expecting her to be rational, to think things through," Caitlin replied. "She isn't."

Weiss raised an eyebrow. "You really don't think she's premeditated these things? That doesn't make sense. Not to mention the fact that, if she is as hinged as you say, she would be sloppier and easy to find."

"Sloppy?" Caitlin scoffed. "Ivy's anything but sloppy. But, to your point, she wouldn't premeditate these things because she acts on impulse alone, and impulse alone is often much more shocking than actions taken by sane people that actually think things through. Ivy knows full well what she's doing, in the sense that her strategy is to handle things by feel, but she probably isn't aware of what she's planning until she puts it in action. Think about her relationship with Adam, for instance."

Blake flinched at the memory and nervously glanced towards Weiss, who seemed just as tense at the memory.

"Should we go to Vacuo, then?" Ruby finally said. Samara and Caitlin shared a look that suggested the question was insane on the face of it.

"That would be signing your own death warrant," Samara shook her head. "No, wait for her to come to us but try to track her down through any minimal paper trail she could possibly leave."

Weiss sighed. "Hopefully that'll be enough."

* * *

**April 29th**

**City of Mantle**

**Atlas**

**Downtown**

**5:42 PM**

"I hate Mantle."

Emmett Schnee and Glynda Goodwitch stepped out into the warm, early summer air. He kept a hand on his sword while she kept her arms crossed, her crop in her left hand. They had gone to downtown Mantle off of rumors regarding an old sect of extremists. It wasn't likely to amount to much, but Emmett had thought it worth investigating because of the legacy his father (made only worse by Jacques, as Emmett bitterly mused) had left in the city. Makeshift bombs had been going off in the city for over a week now, mostly near the abandoned dust refineries and mines. The police had shot people in the streets for threatening behaviors, a rather broad (and in some cases inaccurate) term thrown around a lot in Atlas as justification for such violence. Most people in the kingdom didn't give a damn about the news out of Mantle, however, with the scandal involving Ivy Ironwood still blowing up in its own right. Emmett scowled at their surroundings as they walked, only once pausing to push up his glasses.

"I still don't know why you came," Glynda remarked, looking around with a critical eye. "You've always hated it here. Why come back at all, and why with me?"

"In a perfect world, our team would be down here but James has too much work and my wife…" Emmett trailed off, not wanting to finish his thoughts.

"Emily wouldn't like this," Glynda said shortly, not mentioning the fact that Emmeline wouldn't fare well in a place like this. There was so much around them that felt grim, and they both knew it would have a worse effect on Emmeline than either of them.

"No, she wouldn't," Emmett darkly agreed, pausing upon seeing smoke in the distance. "Shit. Did another —"

"Emmett, wait," Glynda grabbed his wrist before he ran headlong towards the smoke. "If that were a bomb, we would have heard something. Neither of us have any idea what that is, let alone —"

"Then we should take a look!" Emmett lowered his voice when she finally caught up with him again. "I think…"

"Shush," Glynda almost silently scaled the side of the abandoned warehouse, adjusting her glasses once she made it onto the roof. Slowly, she moved towards the other side, where the smoke was rising.

"I'm coming with you!" Emmett whispered, climbing up onto the roof shortly behind her.

When he made it to the other side where she stood, the sight they saw was jarring. Though they had heard nothing when the smoke had started to rise, they could smell its awful source. Glynda and Emmett both crouched down so as not to risk being seen if anyone were still there, but there were was nobody around to hear them, much less lay eyes on them. In the alleyway, on the ground, was a mangled body that was on fire, likely set by whomever was responsible for the gruesome sight. Emmett felt sick to his stomach unsure of what to make of the scene. Glynda quickly called for the proper authorities, but felt her stomach sunk when she realised the person — it really was impossible to tell if they were male or female — was wearing the uniform of the local police. Emmett soon noticed this too, and he could hardly believe it. The odds weren't good for an officer even in Mantle to be the victim of a violent crime. If it suggested anything, the scene suggested that Mantle was even less safe than they had thought. Officials from the FBI were soon on the scene with the local authorities, but Glynda still could have sworn things weren't right. Then, they saw it: the victim wasn't human.

* * *

**_June 3rd_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_3:21 AM_**

Elizabeth Morell examined her reflection in the pool water, kneeling by the edge. It was a full moon, and, for her, that was enough of a beckoning sign to draw her outside even in the darkest hours of the morning. Elizabeth was only in her light, fitted chemise and silk robe, but the weather was so warm that it didn't matter. She and Tai were at home — their real home, rather than the presidential manor — and she had slipped out to their pool, every so often glancing up at the night sky over their high, wrought iron fences. She had spent more time out here than she would ever admit; practicing with her semblance, trying to recover alone, the fleeting, playfully moments with Tai. Her delicate fingers brushing ever so slightly over the surface of the water, Elizabeth breathed in the night air. The stress of her life was beginning to claw its way into every fiber of her being and moments of quiet like this were increasingly scarce. Elizabeth flinched slightly when she heard rustling in the bushes nearby, but she brushed it off and began to calmly bend the water.

"Elizabeth."

Elizabeth Morell screamed when she heard the back door open, only to find Blake Belladonna standing there, eyeing her strangely. She found herself wanting to call the police, but didn't; however much she may have scared her, Blake was her daughter in law. The two women stared at each other for a very long time, but then Blake sat down beside her on the edge of the pool, looking rather solemn. Elizabeth chewed at the inside of her cheek, her nerves rising once more. She told herself it was silly, but she couldn't stop them from invading her peace of mind either. It was nothing if not absolutely maddening. She was supposed to be the one person in the kingdom capable of holding everything together and Elizabeth was beginning to doubt that she could. Just as much, and to her mind far more worrying, Elizabeth doubted they had any chance at beating Salem. The debacle with Ivy and what she had done at the Vytal Festival had all but proven that to the Atlesian President, who was utterly dismayed by it.

"We can't win, Blake," Elizabeth said softly, her voice almost inaudible. Her daughter in law merely stared at her in silence. "I'm supposed to lead us out of this...and I can't."

Blake swallowed hard. "Do you really believe that? After everything you've sacrificed, do you honestly believe we're going to lose?"

Elizabeth sighed, not meeting her gaze.

"I spent so long trying to prove yo myself that, after surviving what I had at Ashlynn's hands, there was always a way forward, that it doesn't matter what the odds are if people actually know the truth," Elizabeth used her semblance to continue bending the water, which only marginally relaxed her. "At the end of the day, I trusted Ozpin and I trusted him too much. That mistake...well...it's exactly why I thought this world deserved to know the truth. I thought, perhaps, that someone else would rise up, someone capable of leading us out of the path of destruction but I was wrong. Since then...it seems things haven't changed...and I fear they are going to become only worse."

Blake stared down at the water herself, feeling dejected. "I hate to say it, but I believe you," She said quietly. "Maybe that's why we're wasting time fighting and not taking action. We're too damn afraid to because we know we'll probably lose."

"Exactly," Elizabeth ruefully shook her head, letting the water back down and deactivating her semblance. "And I'm more afraid of that, Blake, than I am of Salem herself."

* * *

**_June 8th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_9:34 PM_**

"I have a proposition for you."

Ivy Ironwood let out a shriek upon entering her suite. Raven Branwen had weapons laid out on her bed, some of them partially deconstructed. Dust was everywhere, and Ivy could have sworn she smelled blood. It certainly wouldn't be much of a surprise, given that it was Raven. Immediately, Ivy began to scramble for the note she had found in her suite a few weeks before from the only person she, based on the conversations they had since then, thought she could trust, that being Roman Torchwick of all people. She had the number he had given her for himself and Neo in her scroll, but not the address of their meeting place on the off chance her burner scroll finally got compromised by the people in Atlas she knew were looking for her. Raven seemed unperturbed by all of this, rolling her eyes when Ivy found what she had been looking for and pocketed it. So far as the leader of the Branwen tribe was concerned, Ivy could fuck around all she wanted but she needed her and would force Ivy to join her if needed.

"What the hell are you doing here?" Ivy wheezed after a minute of sheer terror. "And what the hell did you do to this place? Do you have any idea how badly this could —"

"I know you're afraid of Salem, on the run from your country, and desperate," Raven smoothly cut across her. "And that, dear Ivy, is where you and I are very much the same. Do you really think I could ever set foot in Vale again after some of the shit I've pulled? Do you think I believe myself evenly matched with the immortal bitch that wants to bring about the end of life as we know it? Do you honestly believe I'm not desperate? Because, if you're that deluded, maybe returning to Atlas would set you right...right in the electric chair, that is."

Ivy flinched. "We don't do that anymore, and we haven't executed anyone that way in over a century. Why —"

"I am here to give you options you simply will not have if you listen to people like Salem — a person whom I'm sure has already made up their mind about killing you — or the bureaucrats in Atlas that will try and make you believe you're crazy," Raven shook her head and stood up, beginning to pace. "And, you should know, I for one do not think you're crazy. I think you're like me, and I think we could benefit each other."

Ivy frowned. "Sounds like you're trying to spin my head around your way too."

"You'll find, Ivy, that everyone is trying to spin other people's heads around their way," She replied, pausing to stare at Ivy's unusually bright amber eyes. "Hmmph. Since when did you and Ashlynn Schnee start looking alike?"

Ivy glowered. "If you think that you are in any way convincing me, then you —" She growled.

"I know I'm not convincing you," Raven laughed dryly. "And, believe me, I'm not trying to. I'm only offering you the opportunity to join me because I don't want Salem — or the motherfuckers in Atlas — to have any sort of satisfaction for getting their hands on you. See, you're a Maiden...and the part here that would benefit you is that I'm willing to teach you to use the full extent of your powers...but only if you join me."

Ivy hesitated. It certainly sounded much better than any of her other options, but she didn't much like it either.

"Well?" Raven pressed. "Do you want to live or not?"

Ivy felt her head pounding in her chest. She hated the thought of becoming one of Raven's own, but she didn't want to go home or be enslaved to Salem either.

"Yes," Ivy said with gritted teeth. "Save me."


	94. The Wolves

_**June 12th**_

_**City of Atlas**_

_**Atlas**_

_**Downtown**_

_**11:23 AM**_

Glynda Goodwitch buried her face in her hands and sighed heavily, exhausted by the events of the last few weeks. These days, if they were going anywhere, it seemed they were going straight to hell. Between the murder she and Emmett had uncovered to the fearsome instability and short tempers spread throughout the legislature and executive departments of the Atlesian Council, it seemed they could very easily consider themselves fucked. Every damn day they received more and more reported deaths both in the kingdom and internationally. Every hour, new vendettas seemed to form amongst the foreign and domestic bureaucrats whom were meant to be working together. Her emails were flooded, just about. James was working over time. Emmeline was testier by the minute. Emmett was a nervous wreck. Cristal had given up. Ozpin had no clue what to do. Karissa was waist deep in hearings about decisions made by her department. Even Elizabeth was facing intense scrutiny, months well past since the Vytal shooting.

The Vytal shooting. One shooter had taken out, once the bodies they had found later were analysed and taken into account, nearly twenty members of the Atlesian military and they had done so with ease. Worst of all, the shooter — the crazed, angry woman that had shot up so many people for seemingly no reason — was Glynda's very own child. She hated the thought. Ivy had been slipping for awhile, something the entire family had known, but they had never imagined her acting so cruelly and recklessly. This was not the Ivy she had raised. This wasn't even the same Ivy that had saved her friends a few months before. Glynda suspected the powers of the Summer Maiden within Ivy were largely to blame for her sudden change in personality but no one was certain. Glynda could only hope it wasn't permanent. She and James had sacrificed so much for Ivy and they had brought her into the world. The last thing they wanted was to be forced to harm or — worse — kill her. Ivy was their fucking child. Their granddaughter — Ivy's only child — was in their custody and was utterly traumatised by what she had seen. Little Hope had said so much when the three of them had first sat down with her therapist in the immediate aftermath of the shooting.

_"Hope," Dr. Silversin had said gently, calmly observing her young patient. "Your grandparents said you witnessed something awful first hand. Are you willing to talk about it with us?"_

_Hope had whimpered, hiding herself behind Glynda's arm. James reached over and gently patted his granddaughter's head._

_"Mommy killed people," Hope quivered. "She left too. I'm scared…"_

No child should have to see such sick truths, Glynda believed, and she hated the knowledge that Ivy's actions had not only killed people but harmed the child she was supposed to protect. James reckoned that, if Hope ever saw her mother again, things wouldn't get better between them. Hope was deeply afraid of her mother, now, even though she had spent her entire life thinking the world of her. Not only that, but Hope still had several years to go before she was even ten. The girl was so damn young and that only made it worse. Excepting when James had lost his arm and leg, Glynda had never wanted something fixed more. They were wasting time in Atlas, constantly waiting for miracles. Standing up, Glynda grabbed her bag off the door hook and stormed out of her office. For just the time being, she needed to extradite herself from her world, her life.

* * *

**_June 19th_**

**_City of Vacuo_**

**_Vacuo_**

**_Downtown_**

**_2:22 AM_**

"This place seems trashed."

Weiss looked in disgust at the things littered around the hotel suite. They had asked around, paid a few bribes, and gotten a few drunks at the hotel bar to tell them where Ivy had been staying, albeit without using her name. It had been easier than they thought it would be to identify where she had been, but, when they had stepped into the room and found a half burnt picture of Hope, it was clear who had been there. Ivy had never been one for subtly, and they were all now bearing witness to the proof of that fact. In some ways, it was almost sad. In others, it was disconcerting. Ivy was powerful, dangerous, and on the loose. There was really no way to know what could possibly happen now.

"I can't believe it," Yang peeled back a bit of torn wallpaper with a grimace. "Ugh. Caitlin and Samara weren't kidding. Ivy really is off the walls."

Blake ran her hands through her hair, taking a deep breath as she looked over the scene.

"No kidding."

"Let's keep looking," Weiss said quickly. She too was unnerved by the room. "If we can figure out where she went or if she's still here, then we'll be out of here."

Ruby picked up a glass shard with some beads of blood on it. "Do you guys think she cut herself?" She asked nervously. Her mind was terrified Ivy had killed someone with what she was now holding as an investigator into the matter of Atlas' most wanted criminal.

Yang glanced towards her, looking dismayed at the thought. "I'm not sure I want to know."

"Me either," Blake muttered.

"It's bad enough without throwing more wrenches into this," Ruby swallowed hard, looking around worriedly. "I don't know what to say...do you guys think she's still here?"

Yang shook her head. "No," She said, crossing her arms. "She's probably long gone. I wonder where she went."

"Realistically, anywhere," Weiss peered under the torn up bed and shrieked when a large rat scurried out and over her feet. "And you would think she'd have some standards, even as a —"

"You do know we're talking about a crazy killer, right?" Blake said dryly, brushing her hands over the desk, which was partially burnt. "Standards? Please, Weiss, be —"

"Don't be a bitch," Yang pressed a hand to her wife's back, ruefully taking in the scene once more. "Isn't this already bad enough?"

Blake frowned. "It's going to be worse if we don't take this seriously. I know Weiss is having a hard time with all of this like the rest of us, but —"

"Blake!" Ruby hissed. "Stop it, please!"

Blake sent her a dark look but then shook her head. "Fine," She said, irritated more with the situation than with them. "But that doesn't change the fact we —"

"We're done here," Weiss said with an air of finality to her voice. "There's nothing else to be found here. Ivy's long gone."

"Do you think she's still in Vacuo?" Yang pressed. "Or where she probably went?"

There was a heavy silence between them in consideration. Then, startling the team, the door to the room creaked open.

"So, looks like she went haywire."

Ruby whipped around to glare at the man and woman in the doorway. Weiss jumped in her skin. Blake swore under her breath, and Yang laughed.

"Long time no see, Torchwick," Yang joked, rolling her eyes. "The hell are you doing here?"

Roman shared a knowing smirk with Neo.

"Can't I ask _you all_ the same damn thing?"

* * *

**_June 23rd_**

**_Uncharted Territory_**

**_Mistral_**

**_Weather Conditions: Optimal_**

**_10:34 PM_**

"Have a drink," Raven pushed a glass of whiskey towards her new recruit, pouring herself one too. "You're going to need it."

Ivy took back the entire glass in one hit, much to the surprise of her "new employer." Raven took back her own drink in mimicry. It hadn't been long since she had dragged the Summer Maiden into her tribe but she had no regrets. Ivy was a fucked up, broken woman but she was strong and, for a mercenary like Raven, strength was everything. Her decision to drag her away from Salem hadn't been personal; it had been practical. Raven was well aware of the challenges that awaited them, and she wasn't thrilled by how grim the odds for her and her people were.

"Destiny must be drunk," Ivy bitterly remarked, pouring herself a second glass. "I never thought of you as the charitable type."

"Oh?" Raven snorted. "I never thought of you as being capable of killing so frequently in cold blood and yet you manage it."

Ivy rolled her eyes. "I'm not taking any morality lectures from you."

"I won't be a hypocrite," Raven replied. "I'm sure your family and the Schnees cover that well enough for all of you back at home in Atlas."

Ivy sent her a dark look. "I'm never going back there," She muttered. "Not if I can help it, that is."

Raven laughed. "Oh, dear," She reminded her without a hint of remorse. "You can never go back there and expect to leave. I imagine they're scouring the entire world to try and hunt you down. For them, and probably the new military recruits in particular, you're the greatest prize. An enemy of the state, a traitor, and a murderer. You have quite a bit going for you, Ivy. Or, given those amber eyes of yours, would you prefer Ashlynn?"

Ivy glared and took back her second glass, not particularly amused by Raven's typical but obnoxious commentary.

"I've made my own choices," Ivy tersely said. "And you have too. Don't act like you're better than me when you're at least just as bad, Raven."

"Quite some nerve," Raven mildly remarked. "I should have expected as much, coming from one of James Ironwood's kids."

"I'm not going to fuck around with my family's lofty ideals, Raven," Ivy snapped. "Don't you dare insinuate that I do."

Raven responded by merely lighting another candle with her own powers as the Spring Maiden. Catching Ivy's annoyed glance, Raven merely smirked. She was quite enjoying their tit and tat, in large part because it had been so long since she had last been able to debate someone who would challenge her. Her people worshipped her, a fact of which Raven was incredibly (some might say disturbingly) proud. Still, it did mean that no one ever contradicted her and Raven found that life up be a bore.

"You aren't much like them," Raven openly mused. "But that's not to say the family resemblance isn't there."

Ivy shook her head. "Like I want to be anything like them."

"You probably did once," Raven raised both of her eyebrows upon seeing the irritated shock that crossed Ivy's face. "Don't be like them. They're dicks enough as things are...much like the Schnees, actually."

Ivy sent her a quizzical look. "So?" She pressed. "What does it matter? And didn't you say we had important things to discuss?"

"We do," Raven agreed. She eyed the woman for a long time, taking in her anger, and then sighed. This would be a long night if there ever had been one. "And it all begins with Edward S. Ciel's assassination in 2001."

* * *

**_July 1st_**

**_City of Atlas_**

**_Atlas_**

**_Downtown_**

**_1:23 PM_**

"President Morell, I must ask you to reconsider this shift in your course of action."

Elizabeth stared emotionlessly at Ghira Belladonna, who was sitting before her looking nothing short of angry. This seemed only elevated by the way she held herself though it was no different than it always was. Ghira hadn't seen her act so detached before, and it angered him. The incident at the Vytal Festival, Ghira believed, should have caused more uproar than it had, but he was concerned that deploying more troops worldwide would only worsen the perception of Atlas as an aggressor. More so, Ghira wasn't comfortable with the increased Atlas military presence in Menagerie. His kingdom had enough to deal with as it were, and Ghira firmly believed that it would only be disconcerting to his people. Elizabeth was still watching him with a frown, her hands folded neatly in front of her. They had met to discuss policy, and had fallen down the rabbit hole when she had informed him of the motions she had signed off on from the DFAMA, his least favorite department.

"I do not doubt that Madame Mar and General Ciel's intentions on the matter are pure," He said shortly. "However, I do doubt that the people in my kingdom will appreciate having Atlesian forces in the streets, all armed to the teeth."

Elizabeth merely blinked. "It's not as if we're invading Menagerie and shooting the local government officials in the central square."

Ghira's face only darkened. "Elizabeth, I am doing my best to be reasonable," He said. "I do not wish to be on poor diplomatic terms with Atlas, which is exactly why I oppose this motion."

"Again," Elizabeth patiently repeated, a note of superiority in her voice. "This matter has already been decided and it's for the safety of your people. Frankly, I fail to see your issue here."

"My issue here is not what you are doing per se but with the way it will be perceived," He shook his head. "Most people in Menagerie don't think Kali and I are hard enough on Atlas, and it will seem, to the general populace, that we are letting you and your military walk all over us."

Elizabeth pursed her lips, a faint scowl flashing over her face. "This is a game of ego? Of protecting your vanity?" She pressed dangerously.

Ghira matched the glare that had slipped through her composure. "Should I take such an accusation to mean you support uprising in Menagerie?" He angrily replied. "Or would you, Elizabeth, like to explain yourself or even admit error?"

Elizabeth raised an eyebrow. "I learned a long time ago to never admit anything, if you can get away with it," She clipped her voice, and Ghira knew he was treading a dangerous line. "As for this matter, I am not accusing you of anything but egotism, a disorder that, to be candid, afflicts everyone in politics, myself included. By no means, though, am I seeking to disrupt order in your kingdom. I hope you only said such a thing in your anger, Ghira."

"Insufferable as always, Elizabeth," Ghira shook his head. "We have a common enemy. Why are you deploying troops worldwide instead of trying to pin point her one location?"

"Because we can't find her," Elizabeth sighed heavily, almost embarrassed. "It's far more practical to address the other…problems at hand than it is to put all our energy into fighting someone we know little about."

Ghira frowned. "You think we can't win?"

"I think losing is a distinct possibility," She grimly replied. "So...are you ready to die?"


End file.
